With all the recent advances in drive-thru technologies, such as high-definition audio headsets and cloud services to efficiently manage multiple store data, a cabled intercom system seems like an ancient relic from the past. But with two decades of QSR management experience, I can tell you that it has saved me on more than one occasion. The last time it happened we were upgrading to a completely new timer and headset system. Normally, that’s a fairly easy task, but for some reason the contractor really botched the job. I think the technician didn’t have any experience with the system we bought, which taught me a good lesson about doing research on the installation vendor as well as the system itself. Either way, we had to rely on our cabled intercom system for two days. When a customer pulls into the lane, the system notifies drive-thru employees with an audio alert and a “vehicle detect” light. The order taker pushes a button to talk to the customer and get their order. When the customer drives away with their meal, the system resets itself for the next customer. Yes, it’s definitely clunkier than today’s modern hands-free headsets. But it still works in a pinch. A couple of years ago I thought about getting rid of my cabled intercom because I had not used it in a long time. Instead, I sent it so CE, who quickly got it working just like new. That was one of the smartest decisions I ever made. I shudder to think how much business we would have lost had we not been able to serve drive-thru customers for those two days. Thanks to CE, we didn’t miss a beat!