For the third year in a row, honors for best fast-food restaurant customer service went to Chick-fil-A.
However, Intouch Insight’s annual drive-thru study showed that Carl’s Jr. tied with Chick-fil-A for the highest fast-food chain customer service satisfaction rate of 95%.
The 22nd annual study highlighted customers’ desire for friendly service as a critical component of operational excellence, noting that perceived friendliness is down 7% since 2019.
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“We’ve all heard that a smile goes a long way, and in quick service, that certainly rings true. While it stands to logic that happier associates lead to better customer experiences, the true financial and operational impact of unfriendly service is staggering,” said Laura Livers, head of strategic growth at Intouch Insight. “With friendliness having declined in the industry, brands who can crack the code on employee satisfaction and training will be able to drive better customer service with diner experience, order accuracy, and speed.”
The study also found that the average drive-thru line is nearly 10 seconds faster compared to last year. Presale menu boards and order accuracy were shown to have an impact on the shortened drive-thru service time.
More than 1,500 fast-food locations were visited as part of the study, including Arby’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’, Hardee’s, KFC, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s.
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Wendy’s had the lowest customer service and order accuracy score of 79%, while McDonald’s and Arby’s scored the highest, with 89% of their orders fulfilled correctly.
