Why skip the first window?

[BZeto]

Mabye it's just my area, but I remember the majority of fast food places used to always have you pay at the first window, then move to the last window to get your food. Now days at almost every fast food place I go they tell you to go straight to the last window to pay and get your food. I would say it is quite ridiculous to have sometimes up to 2 windows used for nothing at all.

 

[FoBoT]

depends on how many people are working and how busy they are

 

[Tremulant]

The only fast food place I visit on a somewhat regular basis is the Wendy's by my house, and if they're not very busy they'll have you skip the second window.

 

[RiDE]

they only use the first window around here if theres a long line... logically.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

it was a failed attempt at efficiency, but they found it cost too much to staff 2 windows.

 

[leftyman]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
it was a failed attempt at efficiency, but they found it cost too much to staff 2 windows.

 

[dfuze]

Staffing and business volume.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Eating fast food has closed the first window of your mind.

 

[Leros]

The guy at the 2nd window sits there 95% of the time. While the guy at the first window is running around doing stuff.

 

[Juno]

the wendy's here in rochester (on 15 by 252 and across from tim horton's) tells you to pay at the first window and pick up at the second window.

 

[ZetaEpyon]

At the McDonald's near my apartment (La Crosse, WI), they have you pay at the first window and get your food at the second.
Even during the noontime rush, it's almost always extremely fast service; a number of times they've got the 2nd window open with my food ready before I even pull forward. I'm not sure how much of that is due to the 2-window setup and how much is just due to good management and service, but it's definitely nice.

 

[daveshel]

I just skip the fast food entirely.

 

[theknight571]

IIRC.. when they first put the 2nd window in at our local McDonalds it was so that you could order while talking to a person instead of a box.

This didn't last long though.. now you order at the box, pay at the first window and pickup at the second.

More efficient? Beats me.

Now the White Castle by me has two drive though lanes... however one of them is remote from the building and your food comes to you through a conveyor system that runs underground. Kinda like the pneumatic tubes at the bank.

It's still is a long wait when the person in front of you has ordered 3 crave cases... lol

 

[xanis]

The first window is usually to collect the money, and the second is for your food. If they're not busy or understaffed then they just do it all at one window for the sake of convienience.