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Comment by bitshiftfaced | Hacker News Reader

I would never had guessed that Chic-fil-A was considered a contender to McDonald's in technical competency. I drive up and a person standing outside takes my order and asks my name. Then I drive up some more and another person asks me my name and punches something into a tablet, and then I drive up some more and get to the window.

This is 2022. Businesses already have queueing software that automatically takes images of the vehicle to match with your order. I get that some customers like having the "human factor," but there's definitely room for improvement.

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They have humans do it because it is faster. Significantly faster, in fact, to go car to car, rather than have each car drive up to a window to order. It also allows them to have multiple lines running at once. And it is probably just as fast to have to person handing you food just ask your name so they can make sure to pass it off efficiently.

Chick-fil-A is the only chain where you will reliably see a massive line (often backing up to the freeway) on any given lunch hour (or a massive in-person line in New York City) that will still get you out and get you served more efficiently than another drive-thru (or walk up shop) that is 1/4 as busy.

But you can have multiple lines running at once. McDonald's already does this at busy locations. I find it dubious to say that they get your order out more efficiently. For one, having a massive line is a potential sign of inefficiency. Also, there's no technical reason I can see why asking your name from a second person to order your queue would be faster than handling this through an automated system. People like to say they get you through fast, but I personally have experienced long "absolute" wait times, even if it seems like the line is going quickly, to the point of I rarely like to go there unless I have time to kill. This almost never happens to the same extent in a McDonald's line, which is shorter, maybe slower moving at times, but lower total wait times.

CFA has found lots of small incremental improvements that speed up the drive thru process significantly.

MCD did the double drive thru ordering first, but my local CFA now has two pickup lines as well, with a heated covered roof. The window has been replaced with a wide open door and employees walk the orders to each car. Simple and it works great.

Chick fil an optimizes the process, not the tech, and it very much shows. Which is what any good business should be doing, IMO.

Mine has never asked for the name twice but they recently started slipping numbered cards under your wipers after placing your order.

I remember CFA posting some articles a few years back on their k8s setup they use for store and inventory management.

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