I hate drive times so much! They want quality coffee then that takes time. The more we rush to get them out of line the more we will make mistakes! It’s so so frustrating right now because my manager is upset at all the shifts for not getting below 50 seconds window times. Mind you 70% of our team is fresh green beans! We can’t seem to keep any partners on staff long enough to get good! Part of it has to be the stress we put on window times.

i agree that drive times are stupid. why pull up to a place where you know that it takes some time to make your drink, but expect the stuff to be out in 20 seconds?? makes no sense to me. don’t call yourself a 3rd place and then treat everything like it’s a super speed fast food restaurant

i hate them because i think they’re too strict but not because i don’t think they’re important too. in reality we are somewhere between a cafe and fast food and that’s tough but there’s gotta be a better balance than what we have now. i will say, however, the customer connection at my new store was 21 when i started. i was brought in because i’m the only SSV in the district with prior DT experience- this is the newest store and only DT in the district. it’s been 2 months of absolute WERK on dt times and our customer connection is at a 48 this week!! dt times unfortunately impact not just that customer connection number but the actual experience for the customers in my big city who value speed of service as a quality connection over quantity/quality time w a partner. i think i wish it were easier than that.

We’re supposed to prioritize customer satisfaction and create “best moments” while simultaneously keeping our times down. How are we supposed to do that when people order 4+ drinks? Or customers pull up to the window and want to add food to their order? Or, this just happened to me the other day, a customer pulls up to the window and decides they want ground coffee but we’re sold out so we have to grind it for them? We can’t say no to these customers, can’t deny them an order of egg bites or an additional drink, not to mention remaking their drink when it’s put in wrong or they say the wrong thing. What are we supposed to say? “Hey, we try to keep our drive thru transaction times very low and get through as many cars as possible in a thirty-minute timeframe, so please know what you want and order it at the speaker.”

Drive times aside, it is really frustrating for us to be working and have customers change their minds, add things at the window, or buy a bunch of gift cards at the window. It’s inconsiderate of our time, and we get blamed for low drive times. As if I like saying yes to any and every request a customer makes (short of remakes when I make the wrong drink, that’s my fault, of course) and some shifts wonder what’s happened to our drive times.

When I’m on bar, believe me, I try my hardest to make quality drinks as they are on the sticker, as fast as possible. We are trying. And what only makes it harder is when I need a refill of a syrup, or milks, or ice, and there’s no one on headset who can get it for me, and everyone in my vicinity is too busy to get it. I have to stop what I’m doing to get a back up, and our times may suffer because of that. I try. And I try to be patient and friendly with everyone, and considerate of others, but it is frustrating when I’m trying to do my job, and things that can be helped, by partners and/or customers, aren’t.

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