Quick Tip: Would You Like Fries With That?
2009/08/10
Photo by Valerie Everet
Coversation A
Amy Partime: Hi, may I take your order?
Jane Hungry: Yes, I would like a burger.
Amy Partime: Would you like a cheese burger, double cheese burger, or chicken burger?
Jane Hungry: Just a cheese burger.
Amy Partime: Would you like something to drink?
Jane Hungry: What do you have?
Amy Partime: We have coke, ice tea, and root beer.
Jane Hungry: Give me a coke.
Amy Partime: Diet or regular?
Jane Hungry: Regular.
Amy Partime: What size?
Jane Hungry: Medium.
Amy Partime: Would you like fries with that?
Jane Hungry: Sure.
Amy Partime: Curly fries or regular fries?
Jane Hungry: Regular is fine.
Amy Partime: What size?
Jane Hungry: Medium.
Amy Partime: Ok, your total is …..
This was the only way people ordered food. It is easy to see that there is room for improvement.
Coversation B
Ben Partime: Hi, may I take your order?
Joe Hungry: Yes, give me combo number one.
Ben Partime: Ok, your total is …..
Thus combo meals was invented and became an essential practice.
Moral of the story: Make buying your stuff a simple decision.
-Todd
4 Comments
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There are benefits to both ways if done correctly. The first option, while taking longer to serve each customer standing in line, allows a level of customization to the customer. Maybe in conversation B, the customer doesn’t want that 24oz sugar/syrup/calorie-laden softdrink or large fries. Conversation A also allows the order taker to try and up-sell the customer by offering suggestions. Not every fast food restaurant does this well however but it does help to increase gross sales.
Conversation B was/is an attempt to streamline not only the order process, but the kitchen work required to complete the order. Limiting choices allows for more efficient order processing if you will. Six Sigma comes to mind here.
Conversation A and B are not mutually exclusive. Just because combo meals exist doesn’t mean the customer are limited to only ordering that way.
However, it would be a disservice to your customers to NOT have simpler options.
This reminds me of a funny story:
A man is in a diner. A waiter asks him if he’d like to order the Seniors Platter. The man says he doesn’t want no old-people food, no sir! Why, he’s still as young and limber as a baby deer! He orders two eggs, two sausages, two slices of toast, and an orange juice. The waiter goes to the back and tells the chef, “One more Seniors Platter!”
Wow, a Seniors Platter sounds delicious right now… maybe I’m getting old too. =D