| Today, Americans are a society that indulges in fast | | | | approaching the window rather than having stopped |
| food. Every socio-economic class is reached by the | | | | "back there" at the menu board. Situations vary from |
| fast food market. The drive thru concept has actually | | | | the employee being very confused but finally getting |
| been around longer than the fast food concept. They | | | | the situation corrected, to a denial of service. |
| date back to car hop days and drive in movies. | | | | In 1994, Burger King had a complaint filed against them |
| Restaurant chains have developed policies and | | | | by a deaf woman who claims she was refused |
| procedures on how to keep their customers happy | | | | service by an employee after she had bypass the |
| while getting them out the drive thru as fast as | | | | intercom, drove directly to the window and placed her |
| possible. However, sometimes there is a going to be a | | | | order through a handwritten note. Other documented |
| situation that delays the entire transaction, wrong order, | | | | news reports include a Wendy's denied service to a |
| customer digs in their car for money, or just slow | | | | Deaf man in 2006 and more recently, January 2008, |
| service. It's the American way to be able to drive thru | | | | Steak in Shake denied a woman service through the |
| and be served at the millions of fast food | | | | drive-thru. There are countless more stories through |
| establishments. | | | | the Deaf community via blogs and vlogs. |
| So how would a Deaf, hard of hearing or speech | | | | What are major corporations doing? Not much. Only |
| impaired individual order from the drive thru? Actually, | | | | one chain has taken some initiative to help their |
| let's start with WHY? Why would a person that | | | | customers that have communication barriers, but it's |
| cannot hear or speak well want to go thru the drive | | | | not mandatory in all stores. Headquarters for Culver's |
| thru? For the exact same reason millions of others do. | | | | supports franchisee owners should they want to train |
| It's cold out, a car full of kids, late night service is only | | | | their staff and invest in inexpensive technology that |
| via drive-thru, or it's just more convenient. There are | | | | improves service in the drive-thru. Studies show that to |
| currently 32 million people in the United States that | | | | accommodate those with disabilities of any kind |
| suffer from some degree of hearing loss. These | | | | doesn't take much financial investment, in most cases |
| individuals are allotted the same services as the | | | | less than $700. Training staff about decent customer |
| general public under the Americans with Disabilities Act | | | | service for those with special needs can be |
| of 1990. The ADA gives "equal access" to people with | | | | incorporated with standard training just like other |
| disabilities. | | | | important policies and procedures. In the last 18 years |
| Now on to the "how"... how would someone Deaf of | | | | since the ADA has been enacted, service for those |
| hard-of-hearing order at the drive-thru? When a | | | | that are disabled has not improved. |
| person knows they cannot communicate with the box | | | | When will a fast food chain rise to the challenge to |
| at the menu board, they will drive around to the | | | | give good service via drive-thru to all that ....drive thru? |
| window. They are fully prepared to not only tell you | | | | Or should over 32 million Americans just deal with it? |
| what they want to order, but why they are | | | | |