I own and operate three drive-thrus. Like many other in this business, slow times at the drive thru allows for us to pursue other interests. I share these with customers as a way to offer more of an experience at my drive-thrus. I write for a local paper and thus offer a free paper with their coffee. I get the papers free. Also I produced a guided imagery relaxation CD in a former career and hand it out to customers. They think it is great that i work both ends of the energy spectrum. It is all about getting the customer to talk about my drive thru when they are not at the window.
catering to everyone
the dog treat idea works great, i am a young shop owner in florida, and have been lucky that my looks and personality really help, but to be honest the best thing for accomodating is with the kids... im not talking candy, but whip flowers!!! what u do is the parents get drinks, so u give the kids straws, like pink for girls, blue for boys, u take the whip and make a flower on the top of the straw.... trust me.... people will fall in love with u and your shop...
Dogs?
"We brighten every day"
Yeah, you would be suprised just how much that will add to your business!
Dogs?
Get outside of rush hours and we see a lot of dogs in cars. I never thought of serving dog treats. What a inexpensive way to add a little something to the drive thru experience. Great idea!
Cater to everyone
"We brighten every day"
It's very important to cater to everyone. What I mean is, usually when mom or dad comes through the line and little Johnnie or Jill is in the car they want to be like mommy or daddy and have their own special drink. Believe it or not, the same with dog owners. Even dogs expect to get their doggy treat as well. Believe me now a days you have to cater to everyone. So if your customer is happy, you are usually happy (SMILE).
customer service with a touch of class
The chocolate coffee bean idea is similar in concept to something that has worked well in the hotel industry for years (i.e. chocolate mints on the pillow). The benefit of the bean is that it has a direct tie-in to the coffee. Although I've had some success with using coupons (i.e. 2 for 1, free upsize), I would prefer to find another medium. That way, I'd have something that serves the purpose, but is more fun and entertaining than a simple coupon.
NOT JUST DRIVE THU"S!
Value added!!!!! Percieved Value!!!!! A single chocolate covered coffee bean on the lid of a cup? Its that little something that makes a customer a return customer over and over. Just remember once you start doing something you have to maintain because your customer will expect it. What happends if you dont have time to make CD's or stop writing for the local paper? Where do you think your net will go when your buying those items? A few chips with a sandwhich, a genuine smile and eye contact as you take the order and hand it to them. Any other ideas on adding perceived value?
Other ideas
I offer free upsize at slow times during the day and the usual afternoon happy hour. I am in a corner of a gas station lot and we do a tray of samples just like Starbucks, once a week for gas pump patrons. It has really helped bring new customers thru our window.
drive thru
Excellent ideas. I never thought of serving anything other than what the customer asks for. A paper in the morning would be cool with your latte, but I would imagine most newspapers will want to charge you for them. I'd love to give something away to have people talk about my stand.