Monday, November 06, 2006

Outsourcing the drive-thru window

Some fast food restaurants are now relying on remote call-centers to take their drive-thru orders. That means the next time you speak into a drive-thru order box the person your talking to on the other end of the wires could be miles away.

Remote call-centers for order taking is just part of a comprehensive order effeciency solution offered to fast food restaurants by a company called Exit41.

Another part of the plan is a camera that takes a photo of each customer as they speak their order into the drive-thru box. This photo is then used at the drive-thru window to help the fast food employee match the right food order with the right customer (see photo above).

Exit41's system promises to provide fast food restaurants with increased drive-thru capacity, higher order accuracy and speed, and improve customer satsifaction. Their system is in place in some Wendy's, Burger King, Panda Express and McDonald's locations.

There is an animated illustration and explanation of the features and benefits of Exit41's system on their website.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It would be "Their" system in the last paragraph. -Wordsmith

Ken Kuhl said...

Thanks! -fixed-

LordJezo said...

After watching the flash animation on their website it does seem like an interesting idea to allow for multiple simultaneous drive through ordering booths but what about actually getting the food? Most places take a long enough time to get the food ordered to a single car from a single order, now they will need to fill three orders placed at the same time? How could that speed things up?

Anonymous said...

You know what I just thought? What stops them from taking the natural next step--- outsourcing the order takers to overseas (where cheap labor is abundant)? Exit41 is achieving what was supposed to be impossible- oursourcing SERVICE industry jobs. Seems no type of profession is safe from oursourcing in America!

LordJezo said...

Here's a news story on it:

Link to the story

Once they start porting this kind of thing to India I will be very scared.

Anonymous said...

Everyone doesn't even see the BIG picture here. Did anyone think that this booth takes your picture as a data base? Stores your face somewhere for a future purpose? BIG BROTHER is very close to coming into your home, and it starts just like this! I'll have a number nothing please!

Anonymous said...

drive thru video gone mad