Many social media users were intrigued when Taco Bell’s social media accounts went dark on Tuesday, fearing the worst. Luckily, it was just Taco Bell announcing a major overhaul to its iOS app that allows customers to order and pay for food on their smartphones before even setting foot in the fast food chain.
The app, which Taco Bell says has been in development for two years, offers a slew of food customization options, allowing you to craft your burrito to your liking. Taco Bell thinks customers get anxious with people behind them in the drive-thru line, not allowing them to completely think out their order. With the new app, customers can now place and pay for their order at home.
Taco Bell then sends you a notification when you are within 500 feet of the location: “would you like us to start preparing your food?” You then pull through the drive-thru and say you have a mobile order ready for pick-up or simply walk in the store and wait for your order to be called out.
“Technology has fundamentally changed the way people interact with brands,” says Brian Niccol, president of Taco Bell. “All can be done any time, any place on a smartphone.” Most notably, customers can also access previous orders and see what orders are most popular with other customers in the area. Interestingly, Taco Bell still hasn’t opted to put Apple Pay in its stores.
“There are literally billions of combinations of Taco Bell ingredients that you can put into this thing,” Taco Bell chief marketing officer Chris Brandt told Fast Company. “But it isn’t just a nice little marketing exercise. We think it has a great business application too.”
I’m in love.