What do you hate about the drive-thru?

Discussion in Food & Drink started by MrsJones • Jan 6, 2015.

  1. MrsJones

    MrsJonesActive Member

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    Often time doesn't allow us to go in and place an order so we go through the drive-thru. I hate that our order gets messed up, or change drops to the ground. While we are waiting someone has the itch to honk their horn. It's not our fault. I don't think that a drive-thru was designed to hurry customers through only a convenience of choice to the customer. What do you hate about the drive-thru, any drive-thru?
     
  2. isabbbela

    isabbbelaWell-Known Member

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    Drive-thrus are a nightmare for me. I'm not sure why, but I'm never lucky with them. They either take forever, take my order wrong, forget something in my order, or are extremely rude. I find that very often I have experiences where drive-thru service is really rude and cold. It's not because they are servicing you from your car that they should have an excuse not to be polite. I do like drive-thrus for the commodity of it, but I never go in expecting a perfect service.
     
  3. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    I don't like talking to that speaker thing that they all have at the entrance. It does the job but the voice is usually very unclear and I sometimes have trouble understanding the person speaking. I also dislike that I feel I have to hurry when there's a car behind me but drive thru personnel here are actually very good so I'm always off within just a few minutes of standby.
     
  4. TheViper

    TheViperActive Member

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    The only thing I hate about the drive thru is how rude the people can be at times. I'm just ordering a sandwich and they act like I am ruining their life. Most of the time you ask how they are doing and try and be very nice towards them. They just shoot you down and then throw your food into you car window.
     
  5. Webene

    WebeneMember

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    Drive thrus seem to offer only one benefit which is convenience. Although, even this benefit is not substantial if the restaurant is not busy and you are able to walk inside to order face-to-face. By optimizing the time it takes for you to be in and out of the drive thru, several complications arise for the customer such as being hurried through, blunt staff and incorrect orders. The staff are under a lot of pressure, especially during peak times, to make sure no customer is left waiting too long and as a result, customer service may lag behind. This is no excuse in my opinion, as the drive thru is still part of the restaurant and is thus responsible to uphold the reputation as well.
     
  6. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    Drive thru's are for people on the go. Honestly, if you feel "rushed" at one, you should really have just pulled into a parking spot and gone inside to place your order. There have actually been times where the drive thru's were so backed up due to someone taking forever to place their order, that I actually just pulled over and went inside and still got my order faster than all the people waiting behind the person tying up the drive thru lane. I consider it very inconsiderate and passive/aggressive when people block up drive thru's and take their good old time.

    That said, I love the new double lanes they are putting at McDonalds locations, so when someone is taking too long, you can simply hop into the other lane and pass them by and get your order before them. I've noticed far less people stalling around when placing their orders since these went up - seems that they get more wound up by the thought of others passing them by, so they don't putz around when placing their own orders.

    What I would really like to see is them do away with all cash transactions and simply make the order bill directly to people's smart phones while they are waiting in line, to speed things up even more.
     
  7. emily0531

    emily0531Member

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    I don't like drive thrus that are placed close to busy streets. When you get up to the speaker, you have to scream at the person taking your order and then hope that you get what you've asked for. As a rule, after going through a drive thru, I park and check to see if the order is correct, especially if it is a large order.
     
  8. Thejamal

    ThejamalActive Member

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    Never really had much issues with drive-thru, but if I had to pick something, it's how backed-up the line can get if it's a little later at night and they don't have as many people working. Can't really blame that on the workers though as it isn't there fault that they're under-staffed to deal with that many people. But other than that, I can only remember once or twice where my order has been wrong or the person working the window was rude in some way. Whenever possible, I try and use the drive-thru as I like the convenience and time saved from not having to go into the car as I rarely ever actually eat a a fast-food joint.
     
  9. 003

    003Well-Known Member

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    I rarely go with the the drive-thru. I'd rather park and walk in the store to buy the food directly at the counter. But when I am on the rush, I've got no choice but to use that way, and what makes me really uncomfortable is the limited menu that's being displayed for the customers who are ordering thru the drive-thru. Also it makes me quite tensed when there are cars queuing and I am the lead. It makes me go like panicky and that I just order whatever that I blurt out. One thing I don't go over much anymore, because it just feels for me that I don't have time anymore.
     
  10. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

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    I would like to agree with you on this. I mean, my family and I are often in a hurry so we decide to go order through the drive-thru. It doesn't happen all the time but there were occasions where we had to wait out for so long and the ones we ordered weren't even there. Aren't drive-thrus supposed to make our lives easier? Since that's the case, then fast food restaurants should just put up a take-out center instead.
     
  11. Jessi

    Jessi<a href="http://www.quirkycookery.com">QuirkyCooke

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    So I agree with much of the above and won't repeat it, but I'll add a new one for you that most people wouldn't consider....

    I actually pretty much never go through drive-thrus because.... I'm short. It's difficult for me to reach out the window and grab stuff at most places so I just avoid it entirely. otherwise, I have to unbuckle my seat belt and stretch out. Sometimes I even have to open the door and reach out, depending on the vehicle I'm in, and that's a pain! I can't pull any close at most places because they have a curb to avoid people hitting the side of the building. Sometimes the windows are down enough that it's not a huge deal, but other times, it's ridiculous!
     
  12. Kitty Reeves

    Kitty ReevesActive Member

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    Drive-thu's are literal hell for me. I'm short, so I can't reach the window. I have hearing problems, so hearing the poor employee through the shitty speaker is a nightmare. I'm always trying to get close, but I just end up hitting the curb! (I do that at the bank drive-thru too though.) Also, who ever works the drive-thru windows can be pulled away from their stations if the line of people ordering inside gets too long. So yeah, no drive-thrus for me thanks.
     
  13. GeeCee

    GeeCeeMember

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    Wow. I guess I'm in the minority. I LOVE my local drive-in. Good prices, I can take the kids, and we can all be entertained for about $25-$30 total with two movies. Who can get away with a value like that out of your house for that price?
     
  14. Pat

    PatWell-Known Member

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    I also think the drive-thru is more for convience than speed. Some of the local fast food places have started to have a person outside taking the orders to try and get the people thru the lines faster. I will go inside to get my order if there is a long line which is often faster.
     
  15. missbishi

    missbishiWell-Known Member

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    I detest the drive-thru. I always end up behing someone who takes 5 minutes to decide what they want. Infuriating! I'd rather park up and walk to the counter myself, it always seems quicker.
     
  16. MrsJones

    MrsJonesActive Member

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    GeeCee, lol, yes you are the only one at the drive-in and not at the drive-thru.
     
  17. Corzhens

    CorzhensWell-Known Member

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    Not only in drive-thru but whenever we order food for take out, it is our wont to check it thoroughly if we got what we had paid for. This is not to malign McDonalds but we had several experiences with that fastfood of getting a bag with a missing item. After 3 such errors, we learned to check and such errors still occur from time to time. Maybe those order takers are so busy in multitasking hence they are susceptible to mistakes.
     
  18. Diane Lane

    Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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    I don't go through drive throughs all that often, but I also don't care for the often tinny speakers. There's one I go use that will only fit 3 cars maximum, and I'm often concerned that a car will come along behind and clip the last car, since it's at the end of a street off the highway. Other than that, I've had good service, and my order is usually correct. I do get irritated when my order is wrong, because I usually don't bother to pull off to the side and verify that I have everything I've ordered.
     
  19. LeopardJones

    LeopardJonesActive Member

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    Everything! But mostly it’s the fact that I rarely use them, so they jam up the parking lots for those of us who like to go in and order. Sometimes they even jam up other lots, depending on the location and the hour. The few times I’ve used them, there have also been issues with incorrect orders. But at least I can say I’ve never had an issue with rude staff or anything like that.
     
  20. sbatz72

    sbatz72Member

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    My biggest pet peeve about the drive through is that they take forever. I sit in line with only like 2 cars in front of me and wait maybe 5 minutes or more. Then I finally get to the speaker and the clerk will say will you please wait a moment. I wait another few minutes until the crew clerk is able to catch up. I give my order then proceed to the window. I wait at the window again for another few minutes. I waste all that fuel and time and the food is not even taste that good.