Drive Thru Courtesy and Perspective, good stuff!

After working in Food Service for going on 3 years and interacting with different people in different areas of this service, I have gained much knowledge and obtained much realization on how what you do effects others. I wrote down, a while back, a list of do's and don't's as to help myself to be a better customer and worker. So I thought I would share to help others better understand both sides. What is more awesome than gaining knowledge on both perspectives! I like to experience life in other people's shoes, may be why I love Missions so much. I like to know and feel what others do. It's eye opening!  

*DO NOT TALK ON THE PHONE WHILE GOING THROUGH THE DRIVE THRU. Please. Really gets to me being in such a technology consumed age, we lose sight of all the people around us and how paying attention to the person there IN person is so critical for any relationships whether it's with your Drive Thru server or a family member. 

1.    At least have some sort of idea what you are going to get

2.    Don’t order from the passenger seat, backseat, or even the trunk

3.    If you have a large order please come in as the Drive Thru is normally for those who don’t have much time to wait.

4.    Don’t pay with your years worth of piggy bank change, exact cash or card is AWESOME and makes a world of difference!

5.    If you are having a bad day please don’t take it out on your Drive Thru

6.    Don’t change your order multiple times at the window

7.    Have payment ready at window

8.    Ask for sauces at the speaker not at the window

9.    TURN THE MUSIC DOWN!!!

10.                  If you have bronchitis please don’t come through the drive thru, come in and they can better serve you there

11.                  Don’t take 5mins to order, most people are unaware of the time limit they are on, in order to give you a good swift experience so that you can enjoy your food promptly, be prepared as possible.

12.                  Don’t skip the BIG SPEAKER and assume they can drop and rearrange everything to take your order at the window. It effects others in the line.

13.                  Don’t have 5 separate orders through the drive thru

14.                  Don’t eat your meal and get all settled in while still sitting at the window after the food has been handed to you.

15.                  PLEASE don’t breastfeed while coming through the Drive Thru

16.                  Put out the cigarette, They really appreciate not inhaling what you are inhaling

17.                  Don’t speed off your order at the speaker and then pull off as if they got everything you just said.

18.                  Project and please don’t get annoyed if they ask you to repeat your order just a second time. They want to make sure it’s perfect for you and can’t do that if they can’t hear you.

19.                  Clarify COMBO or ENTRÉE, a number 1 is the combo ;-)

20.                  Don’t decide to clean your purse out as you sit at the window.

21.                  Don’t hand them your trash to throw away

22.                  Don’t ask for “the usual” as they can’t see you or recognize your voice sometimes.

23.                  Please don’t pull 10 ft from the window or speaker.

24.                  Adding stuff at the window is ok to an extent, but please don’t add 10 more meals and 5 milkshakes.

25.                  Don’t order the item at the speaker and then look for the coupon at the window.

26.                  Don’t cut in line

27.       Don't throw a dead fish through the window

28.                  Coning= grabbing the ice cream and not the cone, yeah lets not.

*Things you can do to better your's and the order taker’s Drive Thru experience:

·      Rap your order! Always makes for an awesome day.

·      Reciprocate the smile, goes a long way.

·      Laugh

·      Be patient and understanding

·      Get to know your order taker just by little questions each day if you are a usual, because they want to get to know you.

·      Treat them as human beings that have feelings and emotions too

·      Just a simple Thank You is amazing!

·      Be considerate of the others in line

·      Domino effect good deeds. Like paying for the car behind you. Try it! And if someone does it for you, continue it! It’s really an amazing thing to watch.

·      Know that YOU can change someone’s day and make it positive just by your acts.

Hope you learned lots, laughed a little, and realized how just acknowledging the person that is serving you can make a positive difference in their life in that day. This goes for not only Drive Thru or Food Service but for any job dealing with the public. Just stuff to think about. What you do effects others :-) So be a beacon not a burden!