McDonald's have got even faster at serving 'drive-thru' customers. Växjö-based JLT Mobile Computers have delivered over 80 Swedish manufactured special computers that help the fast food giant increase both turnover and customer satisfaction.

McDonald's drive thru is for customers who prefer to be served in their cars. Ordering is usually done via a loudspeaker system or a hatch to the restaurant. Payment is at the next stop and the order is delivered at the final stop. Efficient and good service - until longer queues develop.

Then, in the new system, one of the staff goes outside to the queue of cars with a JLT 8404 handheld computer (HHOT - Hand Held Order Taker) and enters the order as soon as a car stops. The orders are wireless transmitted, in arrival order, to the restaurant. The throughput tempo is increased considerably.

Served in 45 seconds

When the queues are extra long, two members of staff can take orders directly from the cars, offering a personal service. At its best, it takes only 45 seconds from ordering to the order being in the car - even when there are longer queues.

"Since we introduced HHOT the capacity to serve customers in drive-thru has increased considerably and at the same time we have seen a much better result when we measure customer satisfaction. We also minimize the risk of packing the wrong products. My staff think the computers are easy to use, and no extra training is required as the display on the HHOT screens is the same as the cash registers," says Fredrik Karlsson, restaurant manager of McDonald's in Hägernäs.

Rugged, bright and light

JLT has so far delivered more than 80 HHOTs to over 60 McDonald's restaurants in Sweden. The HHOT is a development of the JLT8404 Field Tablet PC. The HHOT is very easy to use with its bright touch screen, and with its low weight is good ergonomically.

The customized system has been developed by In Time Mobile Computers who are sales partner to JLT.

"The application at McDonald's is one in a row of exciting projects where our handheld computers help increase our users' turnover, efficiency and level of service," says JLT's founder Jan Olofsson.