Drive Thru Tips

When I was sitting in the drive-thru at McDonald's, this post started coming to me. I am careful to order a certain way and to be respectful of the employees behind the windows and of the other customers in line. Why? Because I've been there and I've done that and working the drive-thru is not much fun ... and it almost always has to do with the customers. Even customers who mean well often come off rude or condescending.

During college I worked in a local Mexican fast food restaurant. I spent quite a bit of time in the drive-thru window. Here's some suggestions for those of you who would like to be better customers in a drive thru and, as a result, would like to receive better service!

1. Begin your order with, "May I please have ..." If you were talking to a friend, would you say Gimme a or I wanna have a? Gimme, gimme, gimme drives workers crazy, especially without a please. How rude! Where are our manners? If they've made a suggestive sale, as they are required to, you could respond with No thank you. If you begin politely, you've already won over the tired drive-thru employee.

2. These people are multitasking. Go easy on them! The person taking your order is simultaneously taking the money of the first guy and making his change. The person in the next window is packing your order, handing it out and simultaneously packing the order of the four people behind you. Try to keep that straight!

3. Don't ask to add things at the window. Ask for everything that you can think of, even condiments, at the speaker. When you do try to add at the last minute, you dam up the stream of efficiency that is drive-thru service. Not only does it interrupt the multitasking employee, it makes the people behind you wait longer. Hint: if you must order at the window, I hope you started out the transaction with manners! The employee is more likely to help you if you did.

4. When you order a meal, remember to order your drink. You'd be amazed at how many people will pull up to the speaker and say, "Why don't you gimme a #4." Some drive thru employee somewhere is going to get sick of asking and just give you a Pepsi. Hope that's what you want!

5. Turn your stereo off. Even if you are not yet at the speaker, the noise of your stereo may be interfering with the order of the person in front of you or behind you. Noise in the drive-thru = mistakes with orders. Diesel engines are also quite noisy through a drive-thru speaker.

6. Get off the phone. Nothing makes an employee want to help a customer less than a mobile phone. How rude.

7. Check your bag before you leave. It's not always perfect! See #2 and #5. If you do find a mistake with your order and are willing to go back, you should state your problem and tell the employee exactly what you want. Last week, I returned to Arby's and said, "I ordered Sandwich A and got Sandwich B. I would like you to make Sandwich B for me, please, and refund the difference in price. I would also like to have a fresh order of curly fries since mine will be cold by the time I get home again. Thank you."

8. Driver, order for your passenger. The employee cannot hear your passenger calling his order from the passenger seat, even if he is yelling.

9. Say thank you! Smile, too. Wouldn't you hope for that kind of treatment for your son or daughter if s/he was working in a drive-thru?

10. Have your money ready and be prepared to receive your food. During the winter, IT'S COLD! The person working in the window will be cold, especially if you make them stand there and wait. During the summer, IT'S HOT and that employee is sweating and breathing your exhaust fumes. Ick.

11. Be respectful of the employee. You never know who you are dealing with. Whose son or daughter is this? Whose brother or sister? Think you're dealing with someone who dropped out of high school and has aspirations of running the restaurant? Maybe. They deserve respect too. That's not enough? Maybe you're dealing with your future doctor. Here are the careers of the people who worked fast food with me during college: nurse, fireman, immigration officer, nurse, nurse, wildlife specialist, insurance adjuster, surgeon!, teacher, nurse, mother, youth minister, college professor, public relations, accountant, builder, prison guard, architect, store owner. Will this person be taking care of you again someday? Be polite!

12. Employees recognize the regulars. Nearly 10 years after leaving food service, I recognize regular customers at the mall, walking downtown, at church, and at school. Most are pleasant memories, as regulars tend to be polite. Then there's the lady who always tried to steal food by telling us we forgot part of her order.

13. No, the employee won't spit in your food. But if you are rude, your portion might be smaller, less fresh, and they are less likely to help you with extra requests you might have.

14. The simpler you keep your order, the more likely it is to be correct. If you ask to hold this, add that, and talk yourself back and forth all over the menu, your order is likely to be wrong when you finally get it. Think about it before you approach the speaker; organize it in your head. Then speak clearly!

15. If you don't know the menu well, go inside. The drive-thru is for speed and convenience. You are damming up the stream of efficiency when you say, "I need a minute." Go inside where people can go around you to get to the counter to order.

16. If you have 101 questions, go inside.

17. If you have twelve different orders (separate totals), go inside!

18. Don't order fries without salt and then ask for salt at the window. Do you know what most people do? They put the already salted fries back in the grease to make the salt come off. You think you're getting fresh fries if you order that way? Ha!

19. Make sure that your order is actually wrong before you go back inside with your guns blazing. People actually threw food at me when I worked at this restaurant. No kidding. Drinks, too. I'm really sorry that lettuce on your taco ruined your entire life.

20. Don't threaten to call the owner. Please. It's pathetic. That employee just worked with the owner yesterday and they're not impressed. In fact, now they're turned off and they're probably not afraid to lose their job anyway. See #12.

21. Enjoy!