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Long John Silver’s franchisee cuts drive-thru time with wireless audio system

Corbin Restaurants, a Long John's Service franchisee in Lexington, Kentucky, has deployed the Panasonic Attune II Wireless Audio System to improve customer service, order accuracy and speed of service.

August 12, 2015

Corbin Restaurants, a Long John Silver’s franchisee, recently rolled out the Panasonic Attune II Wireless Audio System at the drive-thru of its Lexington, Kentucky, location. Drive-thru order accuracy and order time have improved by nearly 30 percent, according to a company press release.

"We're able to take more accurate and faster orders by eliminating the need to repeat orders or asking customers to pull to the window and re-confirm," said Jay Shoffner, franchisee and president of Corbin Restaurants. "Increased order accuracy and speed of service provided by the Attune II have enabled us to serve more customers, helping us boost sales while improving the customer experience."

The Attune II is designed to cancel low-, mid- and high-volume background noise, according to Panasonic. Standard noise suppression eliminates low-frequency, steady hums, including crowds and machinery. Attune II suppresses all of those, plus other sounds that most headphones cannot block, such as sirens, blaring horns and kitchen noise, ensuring that staff can communicate with customers clearly and easily,Shoffner said.

Established in 1967, Corbin Restaurants is a franchisee with 27 combined KFC and Long John Silver’s restaurants and 480 employees in Kentucky. The company has used Panasonic’s previous-generation Ultraplex II Wireless Headset System for over 10 years before upgrading, Shoffner said. After evaluating the latest options on the market, it decided that the new Panasonic Attune II Wireless Audio System was the best solution, according to the press release.

"Roughly half of our customers come through the drive-thru, and all of them interact indirectly through the Attune II system," Shoffner said. "The Attune II hasn't been deployed long, but if it has the durability and life that the Ultraplex system has, we’ll be looking to use it for another 10 years."

Durability was also key to Shoffner when selecting the Attune II. Its tough, 1-inch-wide headband, heavy-duty buttons and fully sealed, oil-, water -and grease-resistant design was built to withstand the drops and spills restaurant workers encounter daily, which helps to keep restaurants running, while lowering repair and replacement costs, according to Panasonic.

Corbin Restaurants will roll out the system to any new Long John Silver’s and KFC restaurants, and older Ultraplex II systems will be replaced on a case-by-case basis as they reach the end of their lifecycle, according to the release.