For many of you, a drive-thru is something you associate with fast food joints. Some of you may have never actually seen or been to one. If you have ever been to a drive-thru you will know how convenient it is. Now, have you ever wondered why a drive-thru is almost always confined to fast-food joints? Would it not make sense for the drive-thru concept to be applied to several other types of businesses? That is what today’s discussion is centred on; using the practical example of money transfer titan, Mukuru.
Mukuru’s Drive-Thru Rollout In Zimbabwe
In case you did not know, Mukuru recently started rolling out money transfer drive-thru locations in Zimbabwe. They launched one in Chisipite, in Harare, just after the end of the first quarter of 2023. What is the rationale behind Mukuru’s money transfer drive-thru rollout? Here is what the Mukuru Zimbabwe Manager Marc Carrie-Wilson had to say:
“Whilst we are realistic about the economic outlook, as a leading Southern African financial services business, we strive to enable financial inclusion for Africa’s emerging market. That is why we continuously shift our focus to innovative ways that make financial services more accessible for the people of Zimbabwe and those in the diaspora.
As we increase our footprint in the country, we explored various innovative ideas to push the envelope and challenge the type of locations that we have as a financial services company. Safety remains a top priority for us, and the drive-thru idea proved to be the safest and most convenient option for our customers.
The Chisipite drive-thru is open from 7 am to 7 pm daily (including public holidays) and comes with a walk-in option for customers who wish to register or visit the location on foot. Out of the ten new locations, Chisipite is the only drive-thru at the moment, but we hope to launch one in Bulawayo in the next phase.”
What Are The Advantages Of A Drive-Thru?
Streamlining Customer Service
There are a number of strategic upsides to using a drive-thru. One of them is streamlining customer service. Imagine the long winding queues simply because there is one person serving everyone. Including a drive-thru splits the customers into two groups i.e. walk-ins and those driving. That will go a long way in making customer service faster. Plus when working at a drive-thru, there is a psychological effect on the personnel that primes them to act swiftly.
Relatively More Secure
A drive-thru can also actually be more secure than a walk-in outlet. This is because, for starters, would-be culprits cannot easily gain entry inside. Closing off the opening through which customers are served can be all it takes to barricade against potential theft or robbery crimes.
Often Requires Small Footprint
It is even possible to have a drive-thru that is exclusive. This brings in another interesting benefit. A drive-thru, especially an exclusive one, will require a small footprint. This means it can be set up at any convenient location e.g. a fuel station. Essentially any building that is free-standing and by which vehicles can pass by can be used. Just part of one of the exterior walls of it can be adapted to house a drive-thru. Interestingly even the classic mobile booths can also be adapted to a drive-thru. Thus there is the advantage of being able to set up almost anywhere.
Many Partnership Prospects Due To ‘Demand Generator’ Factor
Related to that is that a drive-thru makes it easier to partner with those who already have buildings. Consider the fuel station example I gave. A fuel station owner most likely will like having your business set up at their site. Why? This is because to them you would have become a demand generator. This means you can target places or buildings where your driving clientele will be demand generators for them. It makes the working relationship symbiotic.
Improved Customer Targeting
The other advantage a drive-thru offers is ease of customer profiling. The truth is, more often than not, driving customers are homogenous. The most basic attribute they all share is that they at least make a considerably good income. It becomes easy to target when for instance, pushing certain products or services.
These are some of the advantages of having a drive-thru as a business. Due to the varying contexts, there is no doubt way more advantages than these core ones.
Zimbabwean Businesses Must Explore The Drive Thru Concept
There are so many insights you can take away from this article. As a Zimbabwean business, there is vast room to consider introducing the drive-thru strategy. Understandably not all businesses can roll this out. There can be limitations due to location and road network dynamics. Regardless, many businesses in Zimbabwe can explore the drive-thru concept. After all, vehicle ownership keeps growing in Zimbabwe. This means there are many prospects who would love to access your business via a drive-thru.
Think of applications such as drive-thru ATMs, drive-thru pharmacies, drive-thru restaurants, drive-thru groceries outlets, and so on. The possibilities are infinite. Even for the existing age-old fast food joints, in Zimbabwe seeing a drive-thru is not yet commonplace. It is a trend that ought to become commonplace in Zimbabwe. What are your thoughts on the drive-thru concept? Kindly share your thoughts in the comments below.
I urge local Zimbabwean businesses to seriously consider using the drive-thru concept, where applicable. There are even interesting emerging trends in that space. For instance, there is a growing trend of dual lanes at a drive-thru. It is a smart way to give a perception of smaller queues. Plus that can be coupled with mechanisms to initiate customer service processes before one even gets to the cashier or attendant. These are just some insights to show you that there are vast possibilities for the drive-thru concept.
