Ordering through the chain's app is, done properly, faster than both the counter and the drive-thru. It is also the option with the most ways to go wrong, and nearly all of them are avoidable.
Mistake one: the wrong branch
This causes more failed collections than everything else combined. Apps default to the nearest location, the last one you used, or whatever your phone thinks your location is — and if you are travelling, none of those is the one you want.
Check the selected branch on the confirmation screen, every single time. The address, not just the name. Two branches in the same town frequently share a name.
Mistake two: ordering too late
Placing an order as you pull into the car park removes the entire point. The kitchen receives it when you arrive and you wait the same amount of time you would have waited anyway, except now you are also standing in a separate queue.
Order when you are several minutes out. For a simple drink, five minutes is plenty. For hot food at a busy time, ten.
Mistake three: ordering too early
The opposite failure. A hot sandwich ordered twenty-five minutes before you arrive is a cold sandwich when you collect it, and a frozen drink is a puddle.
Most apps let you set a collection time. Use it rather than guessing.
Mistake four: not checking availability
Apps generally hide items that a specific branch does not have or is not serving at that time — but not always instantly. Stock runs out during the day, particularly on bakery items late in the afternoon.
If a specific item is the whole reason for the trip, it is worth confirming rather than assuming.
Mistake five: ignoring the rewards side
This is where the actual money is. Chain apps run points programmes, periodic offers and occasional free items. If you visit even weekly, the rewards accumulate into something meaningful over a few months.
The offers are usually the bigger lever than the points — a recurring discount on the thing you already buy is worth more than a slow points balance.
If you visit regularly, the app is worth more than every other saving on this site put together. If you visit twice a year, it is not worth the notifications.
Collection, in practice
- Know where the pickup point is. Some branches have a dedicated shelf, some hand orders over at the counter, some route app orders through the drive-thru.
- Have the order number ready. Not buried three screens deep.
- Check the bag before you leave. Same rule as every other channel.
When not to order ahead
Order at the counter instead when you want to customise heavily, when you are ordering for a group and want to adjust as you go, or when you are already standing in an empty restaurant. The app solves a queueing problem. If there is no queue, it solves nothing.