Maintenance for Drive-Thru Equipment

It’s cold out there, and when it’s not too cold, then it’s too hot. Either that or its raining, snowing, or windy. And that’s why it’s so tempting to ignore maintenance for the drive-thru lane.

And after all, we’re restaurant people, not mechanics. But, despite the fact that your drive-thru equipment is tough and designed to function in all weather, you still need to periodically do just a bit of maintenance. If you ignore it for too long, that wonderful money machine that generates so much of your revenue and profits can grind to a halt.

Communications Breakdown

Metallic grills protect those speakers that your staff uses to talk to your customers, but the grills are no barrier to dirt, grime, and ice. As the muck builds up, sound quality gradually deteriorates and your customers have a harder and harder time understanding your staff, causing delays and frustration on both sides. A little preventive maintenance here prevents that and avoids the time consuming and expensive service call that might be necessary if you wait too long.

There can be problems on the other end, too. The earmuffs on the headsets that your staff uses are an integral part of the overall sound system, and if they aren’t kept fresh, the system can’t perform as designed, so the smart move is to just replace them every two months or so. As for the headsets’ batteries, the easiest thing to do is to simply replace them every six months or so, because the last thing you want is to have to search for batteries in the middle of a busy dinner time, In addition, no matter how scrupulous your employees are and how often they clean, a restaurant’s kitchen is a gritty environment, so make sure you regularly clean your headsets with the type of cleanser specified by their manufacturer.

Digital Menu Boards

Your outdoor Digital Displays are how you convey your menu to your customers, and their proper function is absolutely essential for a smoothly running drive thru lane. They need to be checked regularly for any obvious damage, and also for any weather-related deterioration, such is exposed or loose wiring.