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Terry Gilliam / AP
Full speed ahead. Wendy's drive-thru came in first in a survey of the fastest, fast-food restaurants.
Quick: you already wasted 10 minutes on your lunch break listening to Debby complain about her new neighbors and not only do you need to do fast food, you need the fastest fast food. Which restaurant do you pick?
Go with Wendy's, says the 2012 QSR Drive-Thru Study, which ranked the chain's drive-thru the service the fastest at 129.75 seconds.
Burger King came in last, with a whopping 201.33 seconds. Taco Bell got second place at 149.69, Bojangles' third at 171.61, Krystal fourth at 175.94, McDonald's fifth at 188.83, and Chick-fil-A sixth at 190.06.
However, speed is not really the main measure driving customer satisfaction, Brian Baker, whose firm Insula Research conducts the study, told NBC News. Not anymore. "When drive-thru's first came along, we were very impressed," he said. "Now it's become what we expect."
And it's about maintaining those expectations. So customers probably won't notice much if McDonald's shaves another millisecond off its overall average turnaround time, but they will notice if it starts to lag.
The annually published survey armed secret researchers across the country with stopwatches and clipboards and sent them through the drive-thru's at the nations top quick service restaurants, performing 2,053 different visits and 4,071 time studies.
The study critiqued six "benchmark chains" and one regional chain, on a battery of factors, including service time, order accuracy, speaker clarity, upselling, and customer service. Rankings are closely watched by the chains; each year before the results come out, "I get a lot of phone calls from chains asking 'How did we do? Anything we should know about?'" said Baker.
For instance, It can be pretty annoying if they forget your fries or give you the wrong drink, so order accuracy is another key metric to check out. There, Wendy's came out on top again, followed by Chik-fil-A, Taco Bell, and Krystal.
Grit your teeth every time you're asked "Do you want fries with that?" or "Would you like to add a hot apple pie to your order?" Then look for the drive-thru with the longest line. The study found the "suggestive selling" dropped from 37 percent of the time when there were 0-2 cars in line, to only 25 percent when there were six or more cars.
For the friendliest service, go to Chick-fil-A. They ranked first in the "very friendly" quotient at 57.4 percent. Burger King, on the other other hand, had the highest amount of "Rude" service (although it was only 2.8 percent of the time).
What's in store for the future of fast-food drive-thru as the arms race for who can flip their burgers and fries the fastest continues to heat up? Patties delivered to your iPhone? Waiters coming out to your car on hoverboards?
Nothing so futuristic, said Baker. Instead, expect more chains to add lane-splitting to their drive thrus where cars go can go off in two different directions to make their order from one of two speakers, then remerge back into one lane for order pickup.
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Wow. I'm glad to know that.
Chick-fil-A, the nicest, and with a serving of God-to-go in every bag. :)
When I worked at Wendy's, our assistant manager would always have a saying to get us hustling a little bit more. "Come on people, this isn't Burger King!"
Looks like he was right.
Wendy's was great until they started all the changes a few years ago. The new pickles are horrible (more like cucumbers), they don't put tomatoes on unless specifically requested, fries are horrible tasting and the burgers are usually burnt. They tried to add too many options for everything and have gotten away from doing the basics the right way. Dave would not be happy....
Ever try going into Wendys after hours? Better check your food at the drive thro before you leave otherwise you're gonna be pissed as hell....
Well, how about uncooked fries and burgers? By the time you get back to complain, they are either closed or you get a "mi no comprende anglais"....
Anywhere you go "after hours" is typically going to provide lower-quality product and service. The unfortunate reality is that the better staff and better food are there during "rushes" - that is the busy hours from 12-2 for lunch and 5-7 for dinner. Any time before, in between or after you run the risk of shift changes (leaving the place briefly understaffed), food that's left over from the rush (shoe leather burgers, rubbery fries), waiting longer for food that's cooked to order (there's not enough volume to keep cooked food on-hand) or staff distracted by the opening or closing procedures (in the mornings staff is prepping food for the entire day's sales; at night staff is focused on closing up and going home).
I used to work at Wendy's when I was in high school. They had a digital timer over the drive through window. The goal was 30 seconds from the time the car pulled up to the time we handed out the order. During lunch rushes, we almost always beat the clock.
So fast you might not even have time to pay, I went threw one of their drive threw one one night after i ordered and pulled up i was hastily handed my food. When I turned to hand him my bank card door was slammed right in my face... knocked he didn't come back.... must of been some kinda customer appreciation night.
Th reason they're so fast is that their burgers are premade and have been sitting there getting cold and tasteless. Remember when Dave said they were so juicy, you needed an extra nalkin? Has anyone, since Dave passed, had a juicy burger at Wendys?
I NEVER use the drive in; I never go to Wendys or McDonalds.
If you want a really good burger, go inside a Smash Burger or an In-n-Out or Chilis and eat there. You get what you pay for.
And every time I go there, they get my order wrong. How hard is it to get a "hambuger?" Not a cheeseburger, a hamburger?
It's on the way to my job so I ate there 3 times in about as many months and every time they did exactly that, a cheeseburger instead of a hamburger like I ordered. What is the score when you are fast but wrong?
If Dairy Queen were on this list, they'd be last (unless they've changed their service methodology along with their Grill n Chill rebranding).
I used to only go to Dairy Queen to get an Arctic Freeze (formerly known as Mr. Misty), and I'd still have to wait 5 minutes for it.
How long do you think it takes to make an Arctic Freeze? You have to take that into account.
When I order inside the store, I see them working from the start, it takes a while to make that item.
Wouldn't base a whole chain's drive thru time on one item you repeatedly order.
If I order a standard vanilla ice cream, I practically never press my breaks.
The lunch crew at the Wendy's in South Ann Arbor are mostly older or middle aged folks and THEY ROCK. These people make the drive-thru line really move and its rare to have a mistake in your order. It's why a lot of customers go there for lunch.
Of course, their drive through service wouldn't be so fast if the food preparers took the time to read the orders, and actually serve up what was ordered. I now open my order when I get it at the window, pull off the onions I told them not to put on the burger, and hand them back to the clerk, then hand them back the burger and ask for one not tainted by onions, like I ordered in the first place.
You're being unfair to the cashier and making the people behind you wait longer with your behavior. It is a team operation to get the order right. A cashier can ring up the order 100% correctly, but all it takes is the sandwich maker to be careless for one second to make the order wrong.
Odd... Every time I go to Taco Bell, they take FOREVER. Wendy's is quick, and that gay hating chicken restaurant is usually just as quick as Wendy's.
Same where I live. Nobody is producing times like the ones reported (no where close to that quick), but Taco Bell is at the minimum a five minute wait no matter what time of day or night. When the line is backed up it has taken over 30 minutes on numerous occasions (but they have your car "trapped" with curbs on each side so you can't leave once you're in the line.. which I'm sure was designed on purpose).
Our Taco Bell also has the trap drive through, and it probably saves them some sales. The McD's across the street has a double lane drive through that allows a frustrated customer to pull away and drive off.
My Taco Bell always gets the order wrong, or forgets napkins and utensils, and is extremely slow. The day shift on the other hand is very fast and accurate.
No one eats at Wendy's. Service should be speedy.
McDonalds on the other hand...wow! I don't eat there, but every morning at 6:30 it lokos like they're giving away $20 bills for free. The drive through wraps around the building and back out into traffic.
Wendy's at the same time of morning is quiet as a church mouse.
Wendy's is not open at that time of the morning they don't serve breakfast. ????
Wendy's serves breakfast here. And yeah, it's pretty empty.
huh they dont here, not that i would eat there anyway.
If no one eats at Wendy's, why are they the number 2 burger chain?
McDonalds knows breakfast and they have outstanding coffee. The Wendy's here is busy at lunch and dinner and their chicken sandwich easily beats McD's
I don't care how fast they are: the last time I ordered a simple cheeseburger meal the cheese wasn't even melted because the burger was lukewarm if anything. The fries were soggy and not crisp. My medium drink was filled with more ice than soda pop. All this for $7- never again!
In my experience, Wendy's has been one of the faster drive-thrus. Although I don't necessarily prefer to order from the drive-thru (I'd rather sit inside the restaurant than destroy my car's interior simply with the smell of fast food), I can easily say McDonald's has one of the slowest turnaround times ever when it comes to its drive-thru. For something I could've gotten within a couple minutes indoors, I shouldn't wait as much as a half-hour (having to shut my car off after waiting for a couple minutes as it is) for simple food that is not difficult to prepare. Having worked in foodservice as a teenager, I consider it pathetic that some human beings out there don't know how to run a cash register, pour beverages, or prepare simple items properly. It's a joke!
Do you know WHY Wendy's is the fastest drive-thru? It's because after you pay at the window, they ask you to pull up to the door and they'll bring it out to you. That's so you're not parked on the sensor and it looks like you got your order in 1 minute. They cheat. I agree with a lot of the people on here. They never get my order right.
Did you even read the article?
They had clipboards and timed from order time, until they got their meal.
My local Wendy's was slow as heck last week. The local Chick-fil-A is always fast. They have people outside walking among the cars taking your orders with wireless devices. never miss or mess up an order. But the McDonald's that has that split lane? Forget it. Drivers are rude and don't let the two lanes merge into one. Bad idea.
My local Wendy's does well with speed and accuracy, as does my Taco Bell. The nearest Mcdonald's is usually good at getting the order right, but the time it takes to get the food can vary.
I agree 100% with the first and second place winners. Wendy's by far the fastest - so fast that half the time they have my order done after no more than 30 seconds wait. Same at Taco Bell. The worst offender for me is WhatABurger - TakeForEver!
McDonald's is ridiculous! I order something simple like a #1 with a Coke....that's it! I get up to the window and they have me pull forward to wait! For something like that, that you should always have plenty of ready?
No way - Wendi's is horrible. I used to stop side by side at a McDonalds to get the fries and at then Burger King to get a double Whopper with cheese, extra pickles, cut in half and it took about the same time at both (love those McDonalds fries). But Wendi's is the worse - even inside they are the slowest.
The problem is you're going to Wendi's.
I too have questions about Wendy's being the fastest, but it is there I prefer to go as I know my burger is gonna be hot and fresh. Had McDonalds the other night and got shoe leather. Speed means nothing if your order isnt right or the food is not edible.
GeezString, perhaps if you didn't eat at the generic "Wendi's" restaurant that has its headquarters based in China and instead go to Wendy's, you might get better service. ;)
Nice to know the feds aren’t the only ones that spend money on useless studies.
Agree with trooper mood and others. I am allergic to raw tomatoes. I announce this clearly and emphatically at each order. I love their burgers, but have often had to remove tomatoes and scrap off seeds before I am able to eat the burger. Fast service, yes. Attention to service, no.
I noticed this awhile back and figured Wendy's had made some corporate effort to speed up their service.
In-N-Out takes forever in the drive-thru but guess what? I'd go to an In-N-Out anyday over a Wendy's.
I worked at a local Wendy's all through high school and college. I'm not going to date myself by saying exactly when that was, but I was always amazed at the efficiency of the operation. It was great experience and taught me a lot about people and businesses. I worked the drive-through window 8+ hours at a time, often late nights which was very "educational." Fast food is a complex operation that people tend to ridicule and/or take for granted. If you had a good crew, orders flew out the window fast. But finding people to work for minimum wage AND who care about what they do is tough. I don't always eat fast food, but when I do, it's Wendy's :-p. Congrats to my "alma mater"!
What a suprise..Burger King got last in everything..they are absolutely atrocious when it comes to food, service, and even price..
Burger King's breakfasts are the best. Wendy's here does not do breakfast anymore, good that they don't. Go to the McDonalds in Mayfield Kentucky if you want to see fast, accurate service with very pleasant people. They are the best.
Jean, you are not correct. Hardees (Carl's Jr.) sausage egg and cheese buscuits are far, far and away the best! : )
Speed isn't as important as accuracy !
And lets not forget hot and fresh.
I went to a Wendys drive-thru recently in Boise Idaho. I had a big order and was ask to park in the restaurant next store. No one was behind me and while no one came behind me. They ran my order over and forgot the Frostys. So i had to wait longer to receive my full orderin the parking lot next store.. I have never had a hamburger at Wendys, just their chicken sandwich which is very good. But their service is a little iffy.
Not here in Lawrence KS. The only one slower is Arby's, where you can give your order, then go grocery shopping and come back to get your meal.
Can't comment on all these places but any McDonalds I have ever stopped at has been slow unless the drive thru was empty