HME System 30A Timer Helps Taco Bueno Restaurants Improve Service Time in their Drive-Thru Olympics Program"

Taco Bueno Restaurants selected the HME System 30A Timer to help them track and improve drive-thru service times during and beyond their Drive-Thru Olympics Program. This intensive, 7-week, companywide program was designed to help their stores improve drive-thru service times and deliver better customer service. The result? Virtually every Taco Bueno store has experienced an improvement in their drive-thru service times.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) April 23, 2004 -- Taco Bueno Restaurants recently completed their Drive-Thru Olympics," an intensive, 7-week, companywide program designed to help their stores improve drive-thru service times and deliver better customer service. The Drive-Thru Olympics Program has been a fun, effective way to help us motivate store teams to better serve Taco Buenos guests at the drive-thru," said Stephen Clark, President and CEO of Taco Bueno.

Taco Bueno Restaurants selected the HME System 30A Timer to help them track and improve drive-thru service times during and beyond the Drive-Thru Olympics Program. The HME System 30A Timer has helped us monitor and improve drive-thru times so we can consistently provide the best guest experience possible," said Peter Belcher, Director of Operations and Support at Taco Bueno. The HME Timer helped Taco Bueno stores automatically measure and collect the service time at each point of drive-thru service. Each stores service times are remotely polled from Taco Bueno corporate offices and shared with each restaurant on a regular basis. Taco Bueno used the average service window times at each store to determine the winners in each region.

The programs results are in, and virtually every Taco Bueno store has experienced an improvement in their service times. Taco Buenos drive-thru times for the company as a whole improved by more than 14 seconds; 9% of stores improved by more than 30 seconds; 30% improved by more than 20 seconds; nearly half improved by more than 15 seconds; and almost two-thirds improved by more than 10 seconds.

Optimizing drive-thru service requires a comprehensive approach, involving everyone -- from the corporate to store employees," said Daren Haas, Director of Marketing at HME. Taco Bueno achieved such positive results through their Drive-Thru Olympics Program because they were successful at combining technology and employees to effectively improve customer service."

Cash prizes were awarded to Taco Bueno stores with the lowest average drive-thru service time in each region at the annual Taco Bueno General Manager Conference at the end of March. The top three winners of each region received prizes in amounts of $1000 (Gold), $500 (Silver) and $250 (Bronze), with the overall winner receiving an additional $1000 in cash.

About Taco Bueno
Taco Bueno Restaurants, Inc. is a Mexican quick-service restaurant that offers fast-casual dining at fast food price and convenience. With headquarters in Carrollton, Texas, Taco Bueno has 126 locations across Texas and Oklahoma. Taco Bueno is owned by Jacobson Partners, a private equity firm whose current investments include Bertuccis, Childtime Learning Centers, and Conforma Clad, FPC, Inc.

About HME
HME has been the leading provider of technology for the QSR industry for two decades. A pioneer in technology, HME introduced the worlds first patented wireless communication system for the drive-thru application and designed the first wireless intercom system for the Pro-Audio industry. Today, HME continues to deliver the most comprehensive line of solutions to help businesses improve their productivity and security.

From communication and security systems to speed-of-service timers, HME has built a reputation on delivering customer-driven solutions based on quality and reliability. Incorporated in 1971, the privately held HME develops, manufactures, markets and services its products in over 80 countries worldwide.

For more information on the System 30A Timer or Taco Buenos Drive-Thru Olympics, please call (800) 848-4468 or logon www.hme.com.
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