As we've said before in this blog, drive-thru repairs are a fact of life. We are, after all, dealing with sensitive electronics ... not to mention crew members who can be less than sensitive when it comes to handling their drive-thru headsets and other drive-thru communication systems equipment.

So what to do when you need drive-thru headset repairs? Or drive-thru timer repairs? Or any of the myriad drive-thru equipment repairs that might come up when working in the demanding QSR business?

Start by finding a FAST and RELIABLE drive-thru repair vendor.

What to Look For

We all know that speed is king when it comes to the drive-thru lane. The same can be said when talking about drive-thru repair vendors. Except that you absolutely cannot take reliability out of the equation. Because even if you get your drive-thru equipment repair done within 24 hours, it doesn't do much good if that same drive-thru repair fails after a couple of days.

To ensure you're getting both speed and reliability from your drive-thru repair vendor, here are a few things to look for:

Factory-trained and Authorized Repair Centers

Is your drive-thru repair vendor approved and trained to service all major brands of drive-thru equipment? Making sure your drive-thru repairs are done right the first time starts with having the right people do the work. CE Repairs is the only independent HME factory-approved and trained facility in the U.S., and services all major brands including HME, Panasonic and 3M.

24-Hour Turnaround

You don't have time for broken equipment. A 24-hour turnaround policy will go a long way to make sure your drive-thru stays up and running. That's why in most cases CE will repair your product within 24 hours of receiving it ... or the drive-thru repair is FREE. Some limitations and exclusions apply, of course, but any drive-thru repair vendor worth their salt will make every effort to get your equipment back to you within a similar time frame.

Drive-Thru Repair Advance Exchange Program

Your drive-thru can't run with broken equipment, it's that simple. So check and see if your drive-thru repair center offers an advance exchange program. At CE, if your equipment quits working and you need a repair now, we'll ship replacement equipment to you overnight. No need to ship us your broken equipment in advance. Simply use the same replacement equipment box to send us back your broken equipment for as little as $75, plus the regular repair cost.

A Reasonable Drive-Thru Repair Warranty

You're busy. The last thing you need to worry about is whether or not your drive-thru headset repair or drive-thru timer repair is going to hold up. Make certain your drive-thru repair vendor offers some sort of warranty policy on their work. At CE, we're so confident in our repairs that we cover every drive-thru equipment repair with a 4-month warranty. And while some restrictions and conditions apply, it's important to note that any reliable drive-thru repair center should offer some sort of warranty protection.

The drive-thru lane is a demanding environment for equipment that often involves sensitive electronics. And, as anyone in the QSR business can attest, crew members can be pretty tough on drive-thru equipment... especially drive-thru headsets and belt-pacs. That's why it's so important to practice regular maintenance on your equipment... to avoid often high costs of drive-thru headset repairs, drive-thru timer repairs and drive-thru system repairs.

Perform Regular Maintenance

Remember that drive-thru headsets and drive-thru timer systems are equipment - just like your grills, fryers and refrigerators - and they need to be maintained. Following are some tips on how to prolong the life of your drive-thru headsets and avoid costly drive-thru repairs.

• Prevent wear and tear on belt-pacs by disconnecting cables and connectors only when troubleshooting.
• Use clothing clips to prevent belt- pac cable from catching on something.
• Equipment can be cleaned with a mild household cleanser sprayed on a damp cloth. Squeeze out excess liquid first; and do not spray cleanser directly on product.
• Use a soft bristle toothbrush to remove crumbs from crevices around buttons.
• Check date code on batteries and replace every 18-24 months.
• When adjusting headset microphone position, hold the boom at its base, not at the microphone tip.
• Store equipment in a cool, dry place.

Equipment Maintenance Agreements

For peace of mind, a drive-thru repair Equipment Maintenance Agreement (EMA) can help minimize downtime and maximize your equipment's lifespan. CE offers monthly EMAs for all HME, Panasonic, and 3M drive-thru products. For a low fixed monthly fee, you can guard against the surprise expense of drive-thru equipment repairs. Makes budgeting a snap... with no worries, hassles or long-term contracts to deal with.

Free Technical Support and Online Maintenance Videos

Sometimes you just have to ask a quick question, or deal with a small problem that doesn't warrant a full-blown drive-thru repair. So wouldn't it be nice to just pick up the phone and get it taken care of? CE makes it easy for our customers with free drive-thru repair technical support. Just call 877-731-0334.

CE also offers a host of drive-thru repair and drive-thru maintenance videos online to help with repairs. So before you make that call for service, go to our drive-thru maintenance videos page. Chances are you can fix the problem yourself, and save your restaurant some money.

There's just no getting around it. No matter how technically advanced drive-thru equipment becomes, there are times when it will need maintenance or even break down. The QSR drive-thru business is notoriously hard on its equipment, and drive-thru repairs are a fact of life. The key for the successful QSR operator is to manage the costs of drive-thru repairs — thru regular maintenance and having a trusted vendor like CE Repairs to rely on.

Beware Hidden Costs

Downtime is the real killer when it comes to drive-thru repair costs. At CE, we know you can't run a restaurant with broken drive-thru equipment. That's why we offer customer-friendly policies that make it easy to get your drive-thru repairs done fast, and avoid operating without critical equipment — whether you need drive-thru timer repairs, drive-thru headset repairs, or replacement of small but vital drive-thru accessories.

CE's advantage starts with our convenient online drive-thru repair form. Just fill it out and CE provides free inbound shipping labels. It doesn't get any easier than that. To avoid killer downtime, it's hard to beat CE's drive-thru repair advance exchange program. Here's how it works:

If your equipment quits working and you need a drive-thru repair now, we'll ship replacement equipment to you overnight. There's no need to ship your broken equipment in advance. Simply use the same replacement equipment box to send us back your broken equipment for as little as $75, plus the regular repair cost.

CE also offers same-day service on drive-thru repairs. In fact, in most cases we will repair your product within 24 hours of receiving it or the repair is free. Some limitations and exclusions apply, of course, but any credible drive-thru equipment repair facility should be able to serve your needs this quickly. Because, after all, that's what the QSR and drive-thru repair business is all about — speed.

Regular Maintenance and Avoiding Drive-Thru Repairs

Of course the best way to manage your drive-thru repair costs is to avoid repairs altogether. That's why it's so important to practice regular, proper maintenance of your drive-thru equipment. CE also offers Equipment Maintenance Agreements that cover all your drive-thru repair needs for one low monthly price. Simplifies budgeting and helps to avoid large drive-thru repair expenditures.