We all use drive-thrus, whether it’s for medicine, fast food, or, in the age of the pandemic, for groceries and other items. However, not a lot of people tend to realize that there’s a certain etiquette when it comes to drive-thrus. Here are a few tips to follow when going through a drive-thru:
- PUT THE PHONE DOWN
- People aren’t exactly ‘driving’ since all they need to do is pull forward when it’s their turn, but if everyone else is being held up in line because you’re on your phone then no one gets anywhere. I admit there have been times when the Starbucks line is at a standstill that I’ve watched a TikTok or two, but I always keep an eye on how traffic in the line is moving. Nothing is more frustrating, or embarrassing for the person who isn’t paying attention, than having to honk to get someone in line to move up.
- MAKE SURE YOU HAVE MONEY READY
- Nothing is worse than getting to the window and realizing you either forgot your money or card or getting declined with no backup plan. Not only is it embarrassing, but it holds everything up and makes back-ups that don’t need to happen. Always get your payment method ready when you pull forward.
- PULL UP AFTER ORDERING
- After placing an order at the speaker, it’s courtesy to pull up as far as possible so that people behind you can order. Blocking the speaker, if there’s no one in front of you, is just rude and holds everything up. Please, keep the line moving.
- KNOW WHAT YOU’RE ORDERING
- All of that time that you’re sitting in line, figure out what you want to order; unless it’s your first time at a restaurant. You’ve been there before and have a pretty decent idea of what they have, so make sure you have some idea of what you want when you get to the speaker. If what you want is sold out or unavailable then taking a moment to decide is fine, but spending 20+ minutes trying to decide is ridiculous. You can also lookup the menu before arriving. This way you can have a decent idea of what to order when it’s your turn.
- HAVE ID/ORDER NUMBER READY
- Since the pandemic started, it’s become a thing to pick up items curbside or in a drive-thru style situation. However, these types of lines can get bogged down too if the people picking up items or orders don’t have the information needed readily available. If you’re picking up something that you’ve ordered ahead for, have the text, email, or order slip ready along with your photo ID to make the process easier not only for you but for the staff as well. Many retail locations or restaurants that don’t typically have drive-thrus have a limited number of spaces designed for picking up curbside orders, so having your information ready ensures that others can get their orders in a timely fashion as well.
Following these tips can help the drive-thru process run a lot smoother and help drive-thru employees.
Jeri Hensley
Executive Editor/Creative Director