Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Tag: Steak ‘n Shake

  • Steak ‘n Shake, The “Other” Side of the Story

    It’s amazing to me that a year later, people still remember the Steak ‘n Shake incident where my son and I were denied service at the drive-thru window of the Bolingbrook Steak ‘n Shake.  I still receive comments from time to time, and with the exception of two that were literally nasty comments, I’ve published every one of them.

    Carol, a lady who bills herself as the friend of the still-employed trainer, left the following comment recently:

     

    As a friend of the SnS manager who didn’t serve you, I just wanted to throw this out there-

    Obviously what he did was wrong, since this is America and he works for a corporation and you can’t just not serve people. It would be great if SnS had a better drive thru board to better help assist all types of customers that need extra assistance for whatever reason. I’m sure that’s not in their budget at this time, however.

    From his point of view,I believe, the reason he didn’t serve you is because he through you were being very rude in the drive thru. When you work in a drive thru, you get many, many, many rude customers. Sometimes it can really push you close to wanting to snap on someone, as he did you. I believe he told you as you pulled up to the window that “he wasn’t going to not serve you because you were deaf, he was going to not serve you because you were being rude.”

    I guess what I’m really getting at is that there is another side of the story out there that doesn’t really get much mention, and this seems like a classic case of a manager dealing with a lot of stress on his shift and snapping on the wrong person. Not the right thing to do by any means, but maybe it really has less to do with deafness than meets the eye.

    Dear Carol:

    Let’s go over this one more time, shall we?  I pulled up to the drive-through window and when the window opened, I explained that I could not use the speaker because I couldn’t hear and ordered two milkshakes.  I was told to go around again.  The trainer probably figured I just couldn’t hear clearly.  I calmly explained again why I needed to give my order through the window and why going around again wasn’t the solution.  The trainer kept insisting that it was company policy and that I needed to place my order at the speaker. 

    Yes, Carol, at that point, I’m sure on the company’s videotape, it must have looked like a rude customer was ripe and ready for an argument.  After all, like every other customer, all I wanted was for the guy to do his job, which was to take my order, fill it, and send me on my merry way.  Instead, I had to explain why an accommodation was needed at the drive-thru window and defend my reasons for not being able to use the speaker.  The trainer had chance after chance to change his method of delivering customer service and fill the order.  Instead, HE chose to threaten the cops, shut the window (not once, but twice) and leave me empty-handed.

    Let me remind you that he failed to follow the Steak ‘n Shake corporation’s customer service delivery model.  He had several chances to redeem himself as an employee and satisfy the customer, but he failed to do so.  If the company had a policy in place for customers with disabilities as well as a drive-thru modification, chances are good that my son and I would have drove off that day happily enjoying our milkshakes.

    Yes, Carol, there are two sides to every story, but when it comes to discrimination in the drive-thru, this story is pretty straightforward:  My son and I were denied equal right to the same service that customers without disabilities experience in the drive-thru.

  • Steak ‘n Shake, One Year Later

    This morning, I was greeted with this lovely comment left by David R.:

    you are a (bleep) retard. the world does not revolve around you, you lazy dumb (bleep).  how are the employees at steak n shake supposed to help you when you can’t even hear them talking to you? it’s your own fault for being lazy and not just walking in. stupid dumb (bleep) people like you piss me off. if you have a problem with steak n shake then DONT GO THERE. why would the spend thousands of dollars on new technology just satisfy a (bleep) lazy (bleep) lady? THEY DO NOT NEED YOUR BUSINESS so you can take it elsewhere and shove it.

    With attitudes like this out there, who needs drive-thrus that are accessible to deaf, hard of hearing and speech-challenged people?  Segregation at its finest!  Apparently the drive-thrus are only for people who can use them as they are currently set up.  The rest of us less-than-perfect people are supposed to get out of our cars and go in and order. 

    Unless of course, you head over to Culver’s, the restaurant chain that has decided to make sure that their customers are welcomed in the restaurant and in the drive-thru:

    Order Assist System at Indianapolis Culver’s Restaurant.

    Isn’t it ironic that this Culver’s restaurant is located in the same city as the Steak ‘n Shake headquarters? 

    Article in Deaf Life

    For those who aren’t familiar with the story, my son and I were denied service at the Bolingbrook Steak ‘n Shake restaurant a year ago.  The incident was picked up by Fox and ABC news and several newspapers.  Bloggers from all over chimed in:  Steak ‘n Shake, Looks Like This Touched a Nerve.  The Consumerist landed over 200 comments as people discussed the situation.  Deaf Life did a five-page spread on the story.  Down in Australia, the topic was a large part of a presentation given at an RMIT Communicator of the Year Awards banquet.  Diversity, Inc. did a story and a video interview (captioned): Deaf Mother of Three Denied Service at Restaurant.

    In the year since the incident, I met with the Steak ‘n Shake executives and then later, their two lawyers.  I didn’t get anywhere with them.  During our first meeting, Steak ‘n Shake appeared willing to make some changes and perhaps blaze the way for drive-thru access.  Once it was turned over to their lawyers, I felt as if they simply wanted to sweep the issue under the rug.  During our final meeting, they brought in the Steak ‘n Shake employer to issue an apology.  It was quite apparent that the attorneys crafted a very lame, “I-won’t-admit-I-did-it-but-I’m-sorry-it-happened-to-you” apology that the employer droned out.   The Steak ‘n Shake attorneys admitted during our meeting that they didn’t even look into the drive-thru solutions that I had suggested all along.   They clearly weren’t interested in making any changes, but to simply have me shut up and go away. 

    I guess I’ll be seeing more of the Steak ‘n Shake lawyers.  That is, unless the company truly wants to welcome deaf, hard of hearing and speech-challenged customers in their restaurants.  In that case, they know where to reach me.

     

  • Karen Putz Talks to The Celebrity Experience Author

    Donna Cutting, author of The Celebrity Experience is on a Book Tour and today’s stop is right here!  Donna and I met at the SOBCon’08 conference. You may recall Donna from a previous post where I reviewed her book and wondered, What Would Happen if Steak ‘n Shake Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Their Customers?

    So today, I took the opportunity to ask Donna some more questions about how companies like Steak ‘n Shake could apply the Celebrity Experience and produce positive outcomes for their company:

    Donna, I know you’re familiar with the Steak ‘n Shake incident, when I attempted to order two milkshakes through the drive through but was denied service because I could not use the drive through speaker.  I came home and blogged about the incident.  The company issued an apology via email and set up a meeting to discuss the incident with three of their executives.  What are some ways that Steak ‘n Shake could have handled this incident differently, to produce a better outcome?

     

    Karen, I remember you telling me about this incident when we met, and I’ve read a few of the many blog posts on the subject. My first impression of the event was that it could have all been avoided if the clerk in question had simply chosen his customer over his own convenience or store “policy.” Driving up to the window instead ordering though the speaker is not the typical procedure, true. But honestly, disability or no disability, was it really a big deal to just serve you those milkshakes? What if a hearing individual drove by the speaker and went straight to the window by mistake. Must you really make them drive back to the speaker? What harm is it to just take the order at the window?

     

    I wasn’t there to witness the event, but based on what you have said, it seems like the better customer service choice would have been to just bend policy and serve you at the window.

     

    Based on what you’ve told me, certainly the clerk could have turned the situation around by sincerely apologizing once he realized you were deaf, and served you the milkshakes.

     

    In giving red-carpet service, you want to strive to please the customer the first time. Mistakes happen. People are human. However, good service professionals own their mistakes and strive to immediately make the wrong right.

     

    Please note this: I have not spoken with anyone at Steak ‘n Shake about this incident. I know one side of the story. So, I’m a little uncomfortable sharing what I think Steak ‘n Shake could have done differently. The fact that they did contact you and set up a meeting is positive. However, considering the story has been posted on several blogs and told in a variety of media outlets, they might have done well to detail on their website and your blog exactly how they intended to address the situation. From a customer service standpoint in general, all companies should ensure their employees are well-versed in the Americans with Disabilities Act, provide ongoing training and hold employees accountable for giving ALL customers exceptional service.

     

     

    What are some ways that companies today can provide their customers with the Red Carpet experience? 

     

    In my book, The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red-Carpet Customer Service, I dedicate an entire chapter to the power of YES! The premise is to “treat your customers like Hollywood celebrities.” Well, for a celebrity, whatever the question the answer is YES!

     

    For the rest of us, we often hear “Sorry, the policy is….’

     

    The policy is that even though we sold you a defective laptop, we will not provide you with a replacement for the two weeks we need in order to repair the one you bought from us.

     

    The policy is that you must stay home all day waiting for a plumber who may or may not show up.

     

    The policy is that you have to order at the speaker, and if you go to the window first we will make you drive back to the speaker.

     

    Great service providers empower their employees to give their customers a red-carpet service. The best hotels empower their team members to make things right for guests up to a certain dollar amount. Starbucks empowers their baristas to surprise and delight customers with the occasional freebie. (Problems or no, I’m still a Starbucks fan!)

     

    Company leaders could start the red-carpet process by empowering and encouraging employees to be flexible when a customer doesn’t follow procedure. Use some creativity! Policies are in place for a reason – but it doesn’t hurt to bend them to give a customer a great experience.  

     

     

     When a company is hit with a negative experience that is shared on the internet, what are some ways that companies can address this?

     

    It’s a new world for many companies. Rather than one person telling two friends, and they telling two friends…and so on…..disgruntled customers are telling millions of people in one fell swoop – with a blog post that travels far and wide, as yours did.

     

    When an error has clearly been made, and it’s making the rounds on the internet, the best thing company leaders can do is communicate, communicate, communicate. Act quickly to address the error. Address it with the person in question, but also on the company website, on blogs, and by any other means available. Tell the truth about what happened, clearly outline what is being done to correct the situation, and keep customers updated on the progress. The key to regaining your customer’s trust is to communicate, communicate, and communicate some more.

     

    Smart leaders are beginning to realize they too can jump on the blogging bandwagon. Zappos, Southwest, Jobing.com – they all have blogs and encourage customer participation. Through blog comments, Twitter Tweets, and other social networking strategies, customers are actually influencing the direction these companies take.

      

     

    Steak ‘n Shake is now facing a formal complaint filed against them for discrimination at the drive through.  At this point, could Steak ‘n Shake employ Red Carpet strategies to turn the situation around or is the situation past the point of no return?

     

    Again, I don’t know all sides of this story, and I’m not sure I’m qualified to speak directly to what Steak ‘n Shake could do at this point to prevent further actions from being taken.

     

    In general, a company can recover from this type of situation by:

     

    1. Owning Up to their mistakes

    2. Communicating with their customers

    3. Going Above and Beyond to make things right….and then some.

    4. Providing exceptional training for their employees and hold them accountable to high service standards

    5. Continue to communicate, communicate, communicate…..including getting feedback from customers about what they’d like to see happen.

     

    This interview was part of a blog tour.

    Yesterday, the blog tour was conducted at these locations:
    Mary Eileen Williams /     Fiesty Side of Fifty
    Kirsten Harrell / I Pop In
    Pam Archer / I Do Weddings

    Today, there are 2 other places you can read about Donna’s book:

    Debba Haupert / Girlfriendology
    Glenda Watson Hyatt / Author of I can do it Myself – Do It Myself

    And tomorrow it continues at these blogs:
    Heidi Caswell /     Get Your Cards Here
    Jenn Givler / Create a Thriving Business
    Melodiann Whitley / Wealth Together

    Andrea Nierenberg’s blog

    At anytime, you can purchase Donna’s book, The Celebrity Experience, Insider Secrets to Red Carpet Customer Service by going to Amazon
    SOBCon 08 032
    Donna Cutting and Stephen Hopson at the SOBCon’08

  • Steak ‘n Shake — Filing a Complaint for Discrimination

    It was bound to happen. 
     
    Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  Back in January, my son and I had the drive thru window closed in our face, not once, but twice by a head trainer/manager of Steak ‘n Shake in Bolingbrook.  “Go around and use the speaker,” I was told. Numerous attempts to explain that I was deaf did not sway him.  Showing my hearing aids didn’t convince him to serve me.  He stated that he could call the cops if I continued to remain in the drive thru.
     
    Many people told me to “sue the pants off of Steak ‘n Shake!” 
     
    I wanted something more.  I wanted to work with the corporation to try and affect some positive changes. I didn’t want to pursue a lawsuit.  I wanted to make it so that when my kids go through a Steak ‘n Shake drive-thru, they’d be able to access it in any of their 400+ restaurants.
     
    A meeting was set up with three Steak ‘n Shake employees: the Director of Communications, Director of Human Resources and Director of Operations.  Howard Rosenblum, a deaf attorney from Equip for Equality and a person who was very familiar with the drive thru issues, joined us at the meeting.  He was there to represent me and make sure that all of the bases were covered in protecting my rights.
     
    At first, the possibility of change seemed quite possible.  The three corporate staff persons were interested in making positive changes so that this would not happen to another deaf, hard of hearing or speech-challenged person in their drive-thrus.  They indicated that they were not the right department to implement the changes and that we would have to meet with other staff who could put changes in place.  So we left the meeting feeling positive about the direction that Steak ‘n Shake was going in.
     
    The issue was handed over to Greg Fehribach, an attorney who works for Steak ‘n Shake.  We stressed to Mr. Fehribach that we wanted to meet with the corporate employees who had the authority to make changes in the drive thru.
     
    On Monday, Howard and I met with Mr. Fehribach and another Steak ‘n Shake attorney.  Despite my request to meet near my home, Mr. Fehribach insisted on having the meeting in downtown Chicago.  Right then and there, I could see that Steak ‘n Shake wasn’t planning to make this process any easier on me.
     
    At first, our meeting went well as we explained the changes that we hoped to see at Steak ‘n Shake.  After the incident in January, I did a lot of research about drive-thrus and experienced several different access options.  A Subway in Indiana had a touch-screen menu so I was able to experience what it would be like to use a touch-screen.  I visited the Culver’s restaurants that had the Order Assist system in place.  I met with the owner of Order Assist and suggested some modifications to the system to make it more accessible.
     
    Imagine the wonderful PR that would result from making a positive change to all of the restaurants and making the drive-thrus accessible, I said.
     
    We quickly learned that the attorneys for Steak ‘n Shake had no interest in pursuing any changes to the Steak ‘n Shake drive-thrus that would require a physical change to the system.  They believed that training their employees and providing pre-printed menus would be enough.  Neither attorney had even made an attempt to explore the systems that were in use.  They were not going to bring about a meeting with the corporate executives who could implement those changes.  It was pretty apparent that they wanted me to settle it, not blog about it anymore and make it all go away.  
    The attorneys brought in the head trainer/manager who discriminated against me.  He stiffly issued a canned apology and then left the room.  The attorneys would not allow me to say a word or ask questions.   After the apology, I got up and left the room.  All the emotions of that January day came flooding back– to be denied service because you are deaf in this day and age means that we have so much more work ahead of us to obtain equal access.
     
    So I’ll be joining Karen Tumeh in filing a complaint against a corporation for discrimination in the drive-thru.  For the last six months, I explored this issue and tried to affect some positive changes in drive-thru access. I really hoped that Steak ‘n Shake was going to be a leader in this.
     
    It’s just a shame that the corporations don’t want our business.

  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing People at the Drive-Thru–Go Inside!

    I’ve been getting a rash of new comments on the Steak ‘n Shake incident at my old blog site.  All of the recent messages have the same comment:  Deaf and hard of hearing people are not welcomed at the drive-thru.  Go inside!
    Here are some of the messages that were left:

    Employee said…
    Karen,
    I do regret that this situation happened to you. There have been many misjudgements of character here in my branch of service also. I have encountered many unsuccessful people in the food industry. I personally apologize for anything that was done for you and hope that our company does everything that you hope to get from them. I hope that you will find heart and be able to visit Steak and Shake in the future. Maybe just avoid the one with the bad management?
    8:13 AM
    Anonymous said…
    I’m Hearing Impaired Too, but my
    take is a little different than yours.The last thing I want is special
    treatment, law or no law.
    I would park the car and walk in
    and give my order.
    Because you had no problem communicating at the window , he saw no reason why you couldn’t do
    it over the speaker and neither
    can I.
    7:04 PM
    Anonymous said…
    Karen,
    I feel for your situation and of course this could have and should have been handled more appropriately.I would like to point out that you spoke several times about the ADA and reasonable accomadation. You even threatened the associate with this.I have nothing against folks with disabilities and even agree that certain accomadations need to be made but consider this.Would it have not been reasonable for you to just go inside to order? There is nothing wrong with trying to meet these challenges of communication half away but for some reason you make it sound as if going inside to place the order was unreasonable and out of the question.The whole thing sounds silly for both sides. I wish you the best!
    9:48 PM
    Anonymous said…
    GET OUT OF THE CAR AND GO INSIDE
    12:11 PM
    Anonymous said…  

    next time just go in and order.

    Have we gone back to the days of separate water fountains, where certain people were allowed to drink out of THOSE water fountains and other people were regulated to another one?  Those comments reveal the same attitudes, that drive-thrus are reserved for a special class of people.  If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, you get your little fanny out of the car and walk inside.  No drive-thru service for you.
    Not only do we have to fight for physical access at the drive-thru, we have to deal with attitude barriers as well.

    And by the way, Anonymous, it’s not called “special” treatment.  It’s called equal treatment.
     
     

  • What If Steak ‘n Shake Gave Customers the Red Carpet?

    On the flight home from Oahu, I dove into The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red Carpet Customer Service written by Donna Cutting.  I met Donna at the SOBCon ’08 conference — what a warm, engaging person she is!   Donna speaks all over the country on the topic of improving customer service and she gave me an autographed copy of her book.

    “The Celebrity Experience” is all about making customers feel like stars– welcoming them, greeting them and bending over backwards to service them.

    The companies that roll out the Red Carpet Treatment are the ones that retain their customers time and time again.  In her book, Donna shares the story of a company that was faced with a customer who wanted a pizza from Chicago delivered in London.  The company’s response?  “Yes, we can!”  And they made it happen. Of course, the company now has a dedicated customer as a result.

    What if you could find a way to say yes more frequently, Donna tells companies to ask themselves.  What if, instead of saying no, you asked yourself–how?

    So this made me think of Steak ‘n Shake.  What would happen if Steak ‘n Shake said “Yes, we can,” to the idea of making their drive-thrus accessible?

    Right now, I’m certainly not getting the Red Carpet Treatment from the company, despite being a former loyal customer of theirs.   After getting the drive-thru window slammed twice in my face back in January, I’ve been working with the corporation to try and get the company to cherish and welcome  deaf and hard of hearing customers into their drive-thrus and their restaurants.

    One of the solutions is to purchase a system called Order Assist, distributed by Inclusion Solutions.  For the cost of a couple of commercials, Steak ‘n Shake could make every single one of their drive-thrus accessible with this product.  Another alternative is a touch-screen menu like the one at the Subway restaurant in Lebanon, Indiana.  Steak ‘n Shake also needs to set up a policy and trainings on how to serve customers with disabilities in all areas of their restaurant.

    So, imagine if Steak ‘n Shake would roll out the Red Carpet Treatment and implement those changes.  Imagine if they would close-caption their commercials inviting deaf and hard of hearing customers to enjoy their milkshakes.  They could counteract the negative PR that results when anyone plugs “Steak ‘n Shake” into a search engine.  (Go ahead and type in “Steak ‘n Shake coupons” and you’ll see that people are coming to my blog as a result of this type of search. )

    Imagine if everyone saw “Steak ‘n Shake Gives the Red Carpet Treatment to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Drive-Thru Customers” instead.

     

  • Steak ‘n Shake Issue Still Creating PR Waves

    Remember when I had the drive-thru window shut in my face (not once, but twice!) back in January?

    The issue continues to ripple on. In April, it was the subject of Laurel Papworth’s presentation at the RMIT Communicator of the Year event in…

    Australia.

    That’s right, Steak ‘n Shake has gone down under. Laurel has an excellent presentation on why companies need to be aware of social media and how it can impact public relations for their companies. Be sure to check out the slide show on her blog.

    Two days ago, I was doing a search and spotted the Diversity, Inc. article and the video featured as an ad on the search page. And just yesterday, a friend sent me a screen shot of his email page showing the same:

    Over at Disaboom, they’re sharing my two-part series that takes a look at the solutions for drive-thru access:

    Two Milkshakes, Please–Discrimination at the Drive-Through

    Two Milkshakes, Please–Discrimination at the Drive-Through Part Two

    Ironically, this morning I saw a Steak ‘n Shake commercial that featured Steak ‘n Shake employees pulling customer feedback suggestions out of a jar– and it wasn’t captioned.

    As for me, I’m still waiting to hear back from the Steak ‘n Shake corporation to see if they plan to turn this drive-thru issue around and make it accessible for their customers. Many people have assumed that I’ve filed a lawsuit and I have not. I want to work out an accessible solution. Can you imagine the fantastic PR that would result if Steak ‘n Shake would take the steps toward welcoming their customers with access?

    Steak ‘n Shake, are you listening?

  • Advocating for Drive-Thru Access

    Come and join me and June Prusak tomorrow night at Chicago Hearing Society. I’ll be sharing my experience of being denied service at a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant and tips on how to advocate.

    NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS’ RIGHTS AWARENESS WEEK

    Chicago Hearing Society

    Victim Assistance Program invites you to

    The Victim Rights Awareness Night!

    June Prusak: Youth Services Manager, Chicago Hearing Society: “CDI For-For”?

    Karen Putz: Deaf Mom Activist: “Advocating for access” on her experience with Steak-n-Shake drive thru.

    WHERE AND WHEN:

    Tuesday, April 22, 2008

    5:30-8:30 p.m.

    Chicago Hearing Society

    3rd Floor Classroom

    2001 N. Clybourn Avenue

    Chicago, IL 60614

    ASL IN USE!

    LIGHT SUPPER PROVIDED

    VOICE INTERPRETERS PROVIDED

    RSVP: By Monday, April 21, 2008

    CONTACT:

    Michele Cunningham, Victim Advocate

    VP: 773-248-9106

    MCunningham@anixter.org

    Chicago Hearing Society is a division of Anixter Center

  • Can Negative PR Result in a Positive Outcome?

    Jennifer Laycock tackled the issue of how negative campaigns against competitors rarely serve a positive outcome in her post, Spite is not a Marketing Strategy. Jennifer encourages companies to make themselves stand out from their competitors in a different way, a way that highlights something positive about their company.

    In her blog, Jennifer used the example of Steak ‘n Shake and Culvers:

    Earlier this year, a Steak and Shake landed itself in a firestorm of negative press when it refused service to a deaf woman who was unable to order from the drive through speaker. Smaller chain Culver’s received some nice positive press for their innovative drive-thru accommodations for the hearing impaired.

     

    I find Jennifer’s post to be a timely one, as this morning, I am heading out to Culver’s to film a short documentary about drive-thru access for deaf, hard of hearing and speech-challenged persons. I’ve embraced the Culver’s chain and give them my business, because they truly make me feel welcomed in their drive-thrus as a deaf person.

    Steak ‘n Shake still has time to turn the negative publicity into a wonderful PR campaign for their company. I am asking the corporation to consider putting in the Order Assist system in their 400 plus restaurants. The cost of putting in Order Assist is cheaper than what they spend on commercials for their restaurants. Imagine the press they will receive in the restaurant business for this decision.

    It has been many weeks since the Steak ‘n Shake incident unleashed a firestorm of response across the internet, and I’m waiting to hear from the corporation about the direction they plan to go in to make their drive-thrus accessible. I am hoping that they will move toward providing drive-thru access. Later today, Diversity, Inc. will have a video interview about the Steak ‘n Shake incident on their website.

    Stay tuned.

    Update: Diversity, Inc. video interview with Karen Putz

  • Why Culver’s Gets My Drive-Thru Money

    My mom and my sister excitedly emailed me. “We went through the Culver’s drive-thru!” they said.

    So why were they so excited?

    They liked the “Order Assist” system that Inclusion Solutions installed in several of Culver’s restaurants. Quite simply, there is a sign with a large button near the speaker of a drive-thru. When customers press the button, this alerts the drive-thru employee that the customer needs assistance. Culver’s has pre-printed menus and pads and pens ready for customers.

    I spent some time talking with Patrick Hughes, Jr., the owner of Inclusion Solutions after getting the drive-thru window closed on me at my local Steak ‘n Shake. I learned that he also has a system that includes an induction loop for hard of hearing persons and cochlear implant users. This allows those with t-coils in their hearing aids and cochlear implants to get the speaker orders transmitted directly into their hearing aids and implants.

    After spending a considerable amount of time on the drive-thru issue and time with Inclusion Solutions, I was able to give Patrick some feedback on how to improve a few things in the system to make service even better and more equal for deaf, hard of hearing and speech-challenged customers.

    I learned that Patrick has spent years, literally YEARS, on the drive-thru issue but restaurants are unwilling to change their way of service. When a large corporation was faced with this issue, their answer to the issue was to simply slap a sign on the speaker.

    So what’s the problem with signs? Signs still don’t alert the employees that assistance is needed. More than once, I have driven up to a drive-thru and as soon as the window opens, I’m handed the order of the driver behind me. I still encounter flustered employees who don’t know what to do and have to take the time to figure out how to keep the orders straight.


    (Photo description: Karen and Ron, the manager of Culver’s in Romeoville, IL)

    I went to the Romeoville Culver’s near me and met with the manager, Ron. When I asked Ron why he chose to install the system, he said, “When deaf customers come in here and they see the Order Assist system, their eyes light up. They know they are welcomed here.”

    I emailed Craig Culver, whose father founded the Culver’s chain and asked him similar questions. Craig’s father, George, was hard of hearing all of his life. While his father was the motivation behind his decision to add Order Assist, Craig shared, “I believe in doing the right thing and in my opinion it was simply the right thing to do and a good business decision, too.”

    And because of that, I make every effort to patronize Culver’s and use their drive-thrus and I encourage others to do the same. Thank you, Culver’s!