Is your planned outdoor digital menu board installation modular and serviceable in the unlikely event of a failure of one of the components?
Will your menu board continue to work properly, even though someone is servicing the back of the sign? This is an important question to ask, when deciding from which company to purchase your new and innovative outdoor digital menu board. As you know, if you are down for even 30 minutes, it could mean substantial loss of revenue. Being able to access and quickly service your menu board - and continue to take orders - is essential for any quick service restaurant (QSR).
Be prepared. Ask the right service questions of your outdoor digital menu board provider.
Are replacement parts readily available and serviceable?
It is strongly recommended that you choose an outdoor menu board solution that utilizes commercial electronics, which are readily available. Commercially available LCDs and media players often have shorter lead times, than custom electronics. Custom electronic manufacturers tend to have lengthy lead times for their brand of specialized products. At times, it could take up to 8 or more weeks to get a replacement part or product. In the unlikely event of a failure, you want to have parts readily available in 24 hours or less. Time is money! You need parts available quickly.
What is your Service Level Agreement?
Inquire what the standard "Service Level Agreement" (SLA) is before purchasing an outdoor digital menu board solution. You need to know how fast your system may be fixed in the event of a failure. A standard agreement is to dispatch a service technician within 24 hours of the reported problem. If your restaurant requires a much quicker response, most SLA's can be upgraded to 8 hours or less. It is always important to negotiate an SLA understanding prior to deploying any digital menu board solution. Also, make sure that you can schedule regular preventative maintenance for reliable service and continued proper operation.
Will service interfere with drive-thru?
On average, approximately 70% of a QSR's business comes from the drive-thru. You want to ensure that the service to the menu board is as quick and easy as possible. Media players, temperature sensors and thermal management (fans, A/C or heater) should all be accessible from the back of the enclosure. If these items are accessible in the rear, the actual menu will remain functional and it is 'business as usual!' In the event that the LCD needs service, the outdoor digital menu board should have a front door that is hinged (see image above), so that service can be performed by one person.
When inquiring about purchasing a menu board for your restaurant, always do your homework and ask the right questions when speaking with a company representative. The most important thing to consider is can the menu board's electronics continue to operate, even if someone is in the back for service? For every minute that the menu board is down, your company could be losing customers and money. Two things that no company can ever afford to lose!
For more information about quick service restaurant drive-thru menu boards, read
3 LCD Considerations for Deploying Outdoor Digital Menu Boards
