A View From The Top

Kiosks, AI keeping wait times down at Scooter's drive-thrus

Nathan Lester, senior director of Drive-Thru Innovation at Scooter's Coffee, reveals how technology helps the chain with its "scoot on through" customer service model.

Provided

June 26, 2023 | Nathan Lester, director of Drive-Thru innovation, Scooter’s Coffee

The drive-thru has always been a key feature of limited-service restaurants, but with consumers growing increasingly impatient, as noted in a worldwide survey, speed at the drive-thru is more important than ever. According to the survey, 64% of consumers don't want to wait more than five minutes to place their orders at the drive-thru window. Additionally, 55% of consumers surveyed said they feel frustrated if they have to wait more than five minutes to receive their order at the window.

It's an issue that we take seriously. In fact, the majority of Scooter's Coffee locations are drive-thru-only kiosks. Our customers usually visit us while on their way to another destination. However, even if they love our menu, they may choose to keep driving if they see a long line of cars waiting for service. Therefore, our mission is to provide fast and friendly service to meet customer needs and increase the number of cars we can serve.

Since speed is one of our competitive advantages, we recognize that every second counts. To achieve this, we have identified two approaches. First, we aim to reduce the time it takes for our baristas to prepare and serve our beverages and food options. Second, we strive to empower our customers to place their orders more efficiently.

We are continuously searching for ways to enhance the speed of our service through ongoing improvement and innovation. In pursuit of this goal, we established our state-of-the-art Innovation Lab in March. The lab allows us to quickly install and test new equipment and processes for our Scooter's Coffee kiosks. We define simulation parameters, set up the lab, execute tests, analyze results, and iterate accordingly. The objective is to minimize risk, generate quick learnings, and keep costs low. The availability of generative AI has greatly supported this objective by helping us build a simulation program that closely mimics real operational scenarios in a fast and cost-effective manner. This program enables us to adjust various variables, such as transaction data, customer arrival rates, and station loads.

The lab is equipped with cameras that track the steps and actions of our baristas as they fulfill orders. We can measure the distance they move, the number of locations they access, and the items they need to retrieve. This data allows us to determine the time required at each station to prepare specific beverages in different scenarios. Based on these observations, we can make adjustments. For example, we may decide to deploy two people at one station—one person initiating beverages and the other finishing them. By altering this one variable, we can rerun the scenario and compare the increase in the number of drinks produced.

Once we are satisfied with the results in the lab, it becomes crucial for us to test them in a real-world environment. Numerous variables, such as weather conditions, traffic, barista skills, and most importantly, customers, can affect the outcome.

While we have control over how our baristas prepare and serve our food and beverages, influencing customer behavior requires a different set of skills. When customers, especially new ones, approach our menu board, they often take time to read and interpret the options, whereas we ideally want them to place their order immediately.

To address this challenge, we are continually exploring ways to simplify our menu and improve its clarity for customers. For example, we streamline our menu board, simplify the layout, and incorporate more visuals. Additionally, we aim to increase our average drive-thru ticket by suggesting add-ons like extra shots, quick-to-make food items, or cold foam. Even a slight increase in transaction value can have a significant impact over time.

As an example of our efforts, we are currently testing preview boards in the drive-thru at select Scooter's Coffee markets. These boards are positioned a few car lengths before the order board and present customers with focused choices, making it easier for them to decide. The choices offered are items that are simple for baristas to prepare and have higher profit margins.

While drive-thru profits are directly tied to the number of customers served, it is essential to never compromise quality for speed. No matter how quickly orders are fulfilled, if they are incorrect or if employees display impatience or rudeness, customer satisfaction will suffer.

At Scooter's, our objective is to provide fast and friendly service. A genuine smile, a positive attitude, and a "Scoot on through" approach create a lasting impression that encourages customers to return to our drive-thru as soon as possible.