One day in the drive-thru of Jack In The Box, there was no voice at the menu asking me for my order. I waited, but the voice never came. Cars started stacking up behind mine, and I could feel the pressure of those hungry eyes staring at me, as I sat there holding up the line. Finally I gave up and pulled around to the pick-up window, where I found a confused and slightly-angry face looking at me like I was some kind of idiot.

Imagine if that’s what you experienced every time you attempted to use the drive-thru. That would be a nightmare. You would surely quit using drive-thrus all together.

It turns out the speaker system at Jack In The Box had failed right at the moment I was driving up. It has to happen sometime, and I was the unlucky one that particular day.

But for an estimated 28 million Americans who are deaf and hearing impaired, that situation is part of every day life. There’s at least one fast food company trying to help.

Culver’s, famous for their ButterBurgers and Frozen Custard, have been installing a system called “Order Assist” at some of their locations. The system is very simple. Customers press a big button to alert the drive-thru attendant of a hearing impaired (or language impaired) person outside. The customer pulls on thru to the pick-up window, where they are presented with a printed menu, making it easy to point to the items they want. This also gives them a chance to speak directly to somebody, face to face, without the distortion and interference that often comes from outside speakers.

“We’ve installed the system since we wanted to better serve all our guests. This system eliminates the guesswork and is simple and effective.” — Culver’s.

The Order Assist system also includes T-coil, enabling hearing aid users to get a direct signal, turning off their microphones and avoiding feedback and noise. The system sells for roughly $700 per unit, and is developed by Inclusion Solutions, a company helping retailers provide better access to people with disabilities.

“Our focus has always been on small and medium size businesses. With the OrderAssist, we set out to provide an opportunity for owners to make a one time investment with an easy to install product that solved the accessibility puzzle for this important and loyal customer base.” — Inclusion Solutions, developer.

The system has the potential to help more people than just the hearing impaired. Anybody who has trouble speaking English might feel more comfortable using such a service, and it would surely help avoid time and embarrassment on both ends.

I have to salute Culver’s for doing this. It’s something every drive-thru should consider. The cost is reasonable enough, and there’s a possibility of attracting a whole new group of customers, and having the system pay for itself. It seems like a Win-Win.