Taco Bell Launches Mobile Ordering App That Monitors Customer Via GPS To Ensure Hot Food

Taco Bell fell silent on social media today. The company has went completely black on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and their website, leaving only a cryptic message that says “#onlyintheapp.”

Bustle notes that the move may be a smart one for the company. The unusual promotional device is working with surprising effectiveness according to Taco Bell’s Senior Director of Digital Platforms Tressie Lieberman.

“We wanted to make sure our fans were the people who found out about this first. We wanted to break through with a message that gets them excited and talking.”

The fast food taco giant is using the campaign to push for customers to download their new mobile ordering app. According to the LA Times, customers can now customize, place and pay for orders on a smartphone and then pick it up at the drive-through or in store. Taco Bell president Brian Niccol says that technology has changed the way people interact with brands and the company wants to utilize that for a better customer experience.

“Consumers tell us they have new expectations, and when it comes to retail experiences, technology has fundamentally changed how people interact with brands. The last major breakthrough we made was adding the drive-thru decades ago.”

The app functions as you would expect. You simply login to the app, select a location near you and place your order. You can completely customize your order via the app. If you would like extra sauce, no cheese or any special request, it can be made with the simple-to-use app. Customers can then pick up the order in the drive-thru or special lines in the store. The entire experience should be quick and simple.

However, one feature is extremely unique, if not mildy disturbing. The mobile app is able to track the customer’s location via GPS. This will then alert the Taco Bell kitchen to the prime time to begin preparing the order. This will ensure that the order is fresh and hot when the customer arrives instead of cold.

This isn’t the only tracking feature in the mobile app. The app will also auto-populate your favorite items based on past order history. The rotate-to-order feature allows you to access your most frequent past orders when you turn your phone sideways. A “My Bell” section is then visible that saves and populates all your favorite orders for convenient ordering.

If you are looking for a great deal to feed your Taco Bell addiction, the best offers are going to be featured in the app. The company notes that it plans to offer incentives to users by offering #onlyintheapp deals.

What do you think of Taco Bell’s new mobile app? Would you use the service?