Most DTs have cameras. In fact, you’re on camera in a lot of parking lots of a lot of businesses too. We’re all on camera a lot.

Yes there's a camera. I only really use it to see if the car is close enough to place the order.

Dogs hanging out the window are also noticed and loved.

My location has a camera! We've also got one facing us that we can turn on and you'd see our face haha.

The picture we get on the screen is small and grainy, and we mostly use it to see if someone's window is rolled up, if someone is ordering from the passenger seat (Which would explain why we can't hear them) or if we've got a line of cars approaching.

When I'm on DT, I do look at the camera because I can see general facial expressions and/or body language. That way I know if someone seems annoyed or frustrated with my usual "HI I'M TAKING YOUR ORDER BUT ALSO I'M PRETENDING TO BE A COMEDIAN HONKA HONKA" spiels and I can quickly shift to efficient and professional for them.

Also sometimes I'm able to recognize friends or regulars and can adjust based on that. Like "HI WELCOME TO STARBUCKS---oh hey, grande iced latte made with sweet cream, right?"

I understand that being watched makes people uncomfortable, but I promise we're not using the camera for anything nefarious or creepy! Just trying to provide better service.

Yes and yes.

It's a super grainy, tiny picture. We just use it to see if you've pulled up to the box. We aren't gawking at you like a zoo animal lol.

Yes. It helps to be able to lip read and read hand cues from customers. We only remember customers that come through every day. By time you get to the front window we have forgotten the interaction at the order screen most of the time.

Definitely watching you and judging you. Watching every eye roll and stank face. If I see you doing something stupid, I will call you out and laugh for sure.
As is my right for putting up with what I do lol. One of the (very) FEW joys of the job

Depends on the location. My location has a camera but we mostly use it to see if the person is at the box or it's just their bumper.

Story time: winter, icy, barista in drive thru watched a woman pull through our ridiculously tight drive thru with a giant truck and completely demolish the order screen. It was apparently hilarious to just watch the camera view get cracks then tip then be looking at the sky🤣
(No one was hurt, we aren't sadistic...mostly) insurance fixed it but we had no drive thru for like two weeks cause of the exposed wiring.

Haven’t you even seen the Starbucks ad of someone doing sign language in the drive through? That’s why the cameras were put there. Trust me, it’s not to spy on you.

We are actually all gathered around pointing and laughing

Yes, we can see you. I work DT most of my shifts. I recognize my regulars and say hello to them (by name) when they pull up. They usually smile, so assume they like it and don’t think it’s creepy😂

There are cameras, and an optional camera we can turn on ourselves. I personally use it to read lips, or sometimes we can turn on the camera to sign to deaf and hoh customers. I get why some people may feel weird about it, but it's super helpful :D

Also rest assured whatever you're worried about us seeing... we've seen weirder just in the lobby.

Yeah, it’s great for seeing when customers roll their eyes at us

Yes. As someone who is hard of hearing it's helpful to be able to watch them speak if I'm having trouble hearing what they're saying. Makes things go a lot smoother for the ordering.

the camera helps so much though because i can read lips and i can see if they’re up far enough when the bell dings

Yeah, there are an annoyingly large amount of times when some teen or girlfriend is trying to order some super specific drink from the passenger side

Yes. Most businesses have cameras. That being said, i barely pay attention to the video.

After reading through these comments, I’d suggest you mobile order and go inside to get it if you’re trying to minimize being on camera.

yes & we can hear your convos as well lol

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Yes we can see you as other have mentioned we use it mostly to make sure you're close to the speaker don't have your window rolled up and to see if you have a dog. As long as you aren't rude at the speaker we won't remember you by the time you get to the window, we have way too much going on to care about you.

At my local SB locations, partners at DTW are so busy **multitasking**, they aren't paying attention to that tiny square of DTO video on their POS.

The cameras are there for us to use sign language for deaf customers if we have to as well as all the other answers here.

Yes but I rarely look at it. Usually multitasking talking to the person in window, looking at touch screen. Only time I look is to make sure if it's one of the regulars. There's also a camera that we can turn on so you can see us too, I never did because again not a stationary person so they'd never see me.

Yes. We see you. And, yes we are paying attention. It is a part of Customer Connection 😉

Yes

Yes there's a camera and we can see you. Before there were cameras we could always hear you too. I did not know that until i started working there.

Yes it's small and low detail though. No one is paying close attention to it

Yes we do so we can see if youre ready to order, a regular, someone not in the mood for light hearted barista banter, maybe deaf and need to communicate that you have to be helped at the window, etc etc.

A lot of mcdonalds, chick fil a, and others also have a camera. Its not really new and I can assure you that the employees arent really paying attention to you for longer than it takes to get your order. Also you see them at the window anyways so? Is it that big a deal? xD

Yes we can see you and hear everything (while you’re at the speaker box ofc, meaning we can hear the music you’re jamming out to or you singing along lol) usually I don’t pay much attention to the screen unless I’m having trouble I’d try to read your lips or if you sound familiar I’ll look up to make sure I’d recognize you if you were a regular first so I don’t get second hand embarrassment from trying to recognize you

A DT camera can be really helpful. The store I work at doesn’t have this tool, and when I visit a store with one I understand why it exists.

Yes to both—I look at the screen when I can because no one quite seems to get how a microphone works or really know the names of anything we offer, so any extra context helps.

We have a camera in my store, but it's so UV damaged we can barely make out the shape of a car.

I doubt it was much better when it was new as well.

yes they do (for some reason my store doesnt DESPITE being a double drive thru no cafe store ???) i covered a cafe w a dt camera once and honestly i didn’t even notice it until the end of that shift bc no one really looked at it the entire time lol