A customer satisfaction report has found that burger behemoth McDonald’s is the poorest-performing major restaurant in the US.
Conducted by the American Customer Satisfaction Index organization (ACSI), McDonald’s received the lowest ACSI rating across all full-service and fast-food restaurants.
At the other end of the scale, Chick-fil-A claimed the top spot for the 10th consecutive year, strengthening its position as the King of fast-food customer satisfaction.
Elsewhere, steakhouse stalwarts Longhorn and Texas Roadhouse both experienced four percent bumps to earn themselves a share of first place in the full-service restaurant category, while Denny’s and Red Robin were ranked last.
Calculating ACSI Scores
The annual study is based on responses from almost 15,000 customers who were surveyed between April 2023 and March 2024.
The study surveyed customers about the American restaurants with the largest market share, with each given an ACSI score between 0 and 100.
In order to calculate a company’s ACSI, the organization considers several tenets of customer service and experience; including customer expectations, perceptions of quality, perceptions of value, customer complaints, and customer value.
In addition, the ACSI utilizes a series of CX benchmarks to explore year-on-year industry trends, as seen in the below graphic:
[caption id="attachment_61786" align="aligncenter" width="879"]
Source: American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2024[/caption]
So, let’s take a closer look at the findings of the report and see what they can teach us about the CX restaurant industry.
What Diners Want
As seen in the above graphic, while McDonald’s may be underperforming compared to its contemporaries, the overall levels of customer satisfaction within the full-service restaurant sector have improved since last year, with every benchmark increasing apart from the two relating to mobile apps.
For fast-food, there is a similar story. While the increases are less pronounced, the benchmarks have risen or remained the same in each metric.
Indeed, the overall fast-food ACSI score experienced a one percent year-on-year rise, while full-service improved by four percent, making it the best-performing across all sectors – finishing above the likes of breweries, soft drinks companies, and cell phone providers.
These figures are even more impressive given the rising restaurant prices brought about by inflation. So, how are these restaurants managing to improve customer satisfaction despite the economic turbulence?
First things first, value is key. The report details how lower income customers have reduced their restaurant spending and are increasingly viewing dining out as a special treat, not a regular occurrence – resulting in organizations having to focus more heavily on value/special offer options.
Indeed, the likes of Olive Garden and Chilli’s have seen significant year-on-year improvements, due, in part, to their cost-cutting/value-orientated approach. This is particularly true for the latter, with the report claiming that there has been “speculation about whether eating at Chili’s can be less expensive than some fast-food outlets.”
