Years ago, when a friend bought a BMW X5 with in-dash car nav, I waxed rhapsodic about what sort of innovations were going to come about because of it.  I envisioned blue-tooth integration, syncing with laptop when I got into the car, movies, music, and mobile web browsing.  Pretty much all of this has come to pass.  What hasn't yet, but should, is a high-tech replacement for that most hated of devices, the drive-thru ordering system. 

 

Now, if you're like me, you have a particular favorite Dunkin-Donuts order, or McDonalds order as you rush through the drive through, and you find yourself repeating your order as both sides fight the bad microphones and tinny monaural speakers.  Why not take the next step for those people who support it - when a car with in-dash bluetooth or wifi capabilities comes within range of your drive through, throw up your menu in-car - offer your customers "favorites" or customer quick-menus with their half-caf-triple-decaf-dark-and-bitter-mocha-no-whip breakfast ensemble.  Their order goes through automatically when they drive up, hell they can even pay you from inside their car.

 

Bluetooth and Wifi are both a bit too chatty, too powerful and complex to implement this, but the technology is there to interact with your customers in ways you wouldn't normally get otherwise, and you get to interact with them in a way that lets you learn about them, and also streamlines what is oft-times a frustrating transaction.  

 

Probably the only stumbling block to actually implementing this is the fact that in-dash car computers are still pretty rare.  But rest assured - they'll be coming - and soon you'll see the drive-through in a whole new way.