Grabbing food from the drive-thru is the top preference for consumers when it comes to visiting quick-serve chains. 54% of customers said they “always” or “very often” choose drive-thrus over dining inside at QSRs, according to a new survey from Mood Media, signaling a strong preference for convenience. Order accuracy was ranked as the most critical drive-thru feature, while 73% respondents ranked timeliness among their top three most important drive-thru features, with more than half putting it squarely in slots two or three. While 23% of customers say technology is the most important drive-thru feature, 21% rank it second-to-last, showing that it can be “polarizing” among guests. Only 5% of respondents ranked mobile ordering as the most important feature for drive-thrus to have. However, 38% regularly use mobile ordering when it is offered. 72% of consumers do not decide to visit a QSR based on the digital features in their drive-thru. However, 92% of respondents have a neutral to positive sentiment about digital features enhancing their experience at QSRs. 82% are neutral or positive about QSRs collecting data to deliver personalized offers and recommendations. 60% ranked human interaction between third and fifth in importance, showing that customers still value friendly service. When it comes to what consumers don’t like about drive-thrus, long wait times (64%), inaccurate orders (58%) and outdated or unclear speaker systems (47%) top the list. Millennials and Gen Z are the most frequent drive-thru users, as 65% said they “always” or “very often” use them. Four-in-10 consumers say they are uninterested or concerned about AI taking their order, while 47% are open to it or have used it with little to no issue. The main concerns include AI not understanding them (37%) and not allowing order changes (24%).