Service counter drive-in
Contactless services have been booming since the Corona pandemic at the latest – and providers everywhere are discovering the possibilities of drive-in services for themselves. Large fast-food restaurants have been demonstrating for many decades how such services can be implemented in a customer-oriented manner. Even pharmacies are increasingly discovering this possibility for themselves. The reason: a visit to a pharmacy can have very different reasons, to which one wants to react adequately. While for some visitors the comprehensive advice in the pharmacy is important, other customers only want to pick up something briefly. Then the search for a parking space and possible parking fees are often disproportionately time-consuming. With the drive-in counter, on the other hand, you drive right up to the sales counter and don’t even have to get out of the car; nagging small children or dogs can remain seated and the service also offers numerous advantages for people with mobility problems.
However, in order to make customer handling as convenient as possible for staff and customers, there are prerequisites. As a rule, a sales counter must be created in the façade from which customers can be served. Ordinary windows are usually less suitable: They are often installed too high in the façade, too narrow and the open sashes also hinder a smooth flow. Modern sliding windows such as those from Baier offer a more suitable solution and were built onto the existing mullion and transom façade here.
Glass car counter with horizontal sliding window provides modern ambience
Problem solving is a basic principle of our philosophy – what is not in the programme we make. In the realisation of the drive-in counter in Weissach-Flacht, it was also possible to meet the individual requirements of the on-site structural situation.
The basis for the pass-through is a bay window element made of a thermally insulated aluminium construction that can be accessed from the inside and was docked onto the façade. The bay window was spatially planned in such a way that short walking distances between the pharmacy interior and the pass-through are possible – and customer processing is particularly fast. Large glass panes create a friendly ambience and flood the bay window with daylight. Because the drive-in counter is protected under a roof, customer service is possible even when it rains.
Planned to the millimetre: Horizontal sliding window for drive-in pharmacy
The new drive-in counter is 1,177 mm wide, 2305.5 mm high and 680 mm deep – proof of how precisely the building was planned to the millimetre. To make the bay window and the façade look as if they were cast from a single mould, an anthracite-coloured powder coating was chosen. The side glazing, parapet and skylight are made of fixed insulating glass with laminated safety glass and a UG value of 1.1. The horizontal sliding window element can be manually pushed to the side via a lower guide rail to open the hatch.
If the drive-in counter is not occupied, a pharmacy employee can be called via an intercom system located in a pillar made of stainless steel tubing. Another pillar with a mounting plate was fitted with a reflector foil in red and white. Both were also installed by Baier.
Special production down to the last detail at the car counter
Sliding windows offer an interesting possibility to serve customers in an uncomplicated way in canteens, at drive-in counters or other points of sale. Exactly how the pass-through can be designed depends on the structural situation and the requirements of the builders. Whether the number of window sashes, the design of guide rails or the integration of parapets and skylights: all specifications are planned and implemented according to the customer’s specific requirements.
This also applies to the operation of modern sliding windows. In principle, horizontal sliding windows from Baier can be controlled by different connection variants and setting options in dead man, semi-automatic or fully automatic mode; partial openings are also possible. A 24V DC motor ensures smooth operation, power transmission is by toothed belt. In the case of the Markt pharmacy, the sliding window is operated manually. Depending on the number of customers, the sliding element can be closed and reopened in an uncomplicated way; many manual operations are not necessary. This facilitates the daily routine and ensures that no draughts occur inside the building when it is not in use.
Sliding window with additional locking
Because pharmacies are full of valuable goods, they are a popular target for burglary. It is therefore all the more important that all entrances and access points are equipped with effective burglary protection. The horizontal sliding window is locked by means of a swivel hook; in addition, the window system is made of safety glass and equipped with a bar bolt lock that complies with the standards for resistance class 2 – today RC2. The burglar-resistant elements make it more difficult for criminals to break in with simple tools. As a rule, they resist burglary for at least three minutes.
With know-how and experience for project-specific solutions
The modern drive-in counter at the Markt pharmacy in Weissach-Flacht once again proves Baier’s strength as a specialist for special solutions. The bay window is not only planned to the millimetre and comfortable to use in the hectic everyday business of a pharmacy. It fits perfectly into the modern architecture of the façade, appears to be cast from one mould and is a special service for impatient customers. Good installation begins with professional planning and installation details that fit the window type, the requirements and the installation situation. We have the necessary know-how, the right products and individual solutions for every façade.
