Chick-fil-A rules the fast-food roost when it comes to customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction with fast-food and full-service restaurants is up, with both sectors skewing a bit more toward higher-income levels.
That’s according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2024, which noted that households earning less than $75,000 a year are reducing their restaurant visits because of rising prices.
Fast-food restaurants
Although Chick-fil-A’s ACSI score dropped 2% to 83, it continues to leads the fast-food industry. The company’s long-term success is reflected in revenue: Chick-fil-A’s non-mall locations averaged $9.4 million revenue in 2023. That’s more than double that of McDonald’s while being open one day less per week (Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays).
KFC finishes second at 81 (unchanged), appearing to hold on to highly loyal customers as competitors cut into its domestic market share, the report noted.
In other fast-food highlights:
•There is a four-way tie for third place at 80 between ACSI newcomer Culver’s, Panera Bread (up 5%), Arby’s (up 4%) and Starbucks (up 3%).
•Despite being well behind the leaders, Sonic makes the biggest leap in the industry, surging 6% to an ACSI score of 76, same as Wendy’s, up 3%.
•After slumping 1% and 3%, respectively, Jack in the Box and Popeyes fell toward the bottom at 72. Meanwhile, McDonald’s remains in last place even after improving 3% to an ACSI score of 71.
•Order accuracy (86), mobile quality (86), and mobile reliability (85) receive high scores as improving technology may be increasing accuracy in filling customer orders. In fact, mobile quality for fast food restaurants tops that of full-service chains.
•Fast food restaurants also receive high benchmarks for staff courtesy and both food and beverage quality (all 84), although sit-down chains outperform fast food on these measures.
•Fast-food restaurants also receive high benchmarks for staff courtesy and both food and beverage quality (all 84), although sit-down chains outperform fast food on these measures.
Full-service restaurants
ACSI results again show consumer preferences for steaks as LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse both climb 4% to 85, tying for the top spot among full-service restaurants (and restaurants overall).
Olive Garden is next among major chains, up 4% to 83. Chili’s also improves 4% to 80, as it benefits from a combination of high perceived value through its “3 for Me” menu and service strength through employee retention.
Last year’s category leader, Outback Steakhouse, slips 4% to 80. Outback appears to be challenged by a slowdown in spending by lower-income consumers consistent with ACSI findings regarding their customers’ price sensitivity. Meanwhile, IHOP soars 8% to 78. Customers are responding favorably to menu changes that offer more variety.
Denny’s and Red Robin share last place, slipping 1% each to 76.
Customers indicate better performance across most aspects of the full-service restaurant experience — with food order accuracy (92) and waitstaff courtesy and helpfulness (90) leading the way — appreciating restaurants’ efforts to satisfy customers despite inflation.
“Both full-service and fast food restaurant customers are skewing a bit more toward higher income levels and college graduates,” said Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI. “Customers are being forced to make decisions between groceries and restaurants, with full-service restaurant inflation about two times that of groceries in the past year and fast food and fast casual restaurants prices up three times the rate of groceries. With customers seemingly viewing dining out a luxury, restaurants that can differentiate themselves in terms of quality and value will have a competitive advantage.”
The ACSI Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2024 is based on 14,604 completed surveys. Customers were chosen at random and contacted via email between April 2023 and March 2024 for the restaurant industries and between November 2023 and March 2024 for food delivery.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has been a national economic indicator for over 25 years. It measures and analyzes customer satisfaction with approximately 400 companies in about 40 industries and 10 economic sectors, including various services of federal and local government agencies.