Restaurants must innovate and adapt to improve falling customer satisfaction scores as revealed in the latest National Customer Satisfaction Index.
The results showed that customer satisfaction with restaurant chains has fallen in both full and limited service restaurants while it has risen at quick-service restaurants.
Following the results of the survey insight and analysis group Technomic suggests that the price and speed of quick service restaurants has improved their satisfaction scores. While growing expectations of full-service restaurants means they cannot live up to QSRs.
Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic, said of the decline in satisfaction: “It’s easy to recommend that restaurants simply do better: continue to improve food and service and patrons will come. But when consumers are already hesitant to spend, and their dining-out choices continue to increase in number, attracting guests and maintaining their satisfaction gets ever-more challenging.”
He suggests restaurants should innovate in terms of menu or service; differentiate themselves to distinguish a brand’s core offering from its competition; evolve to enhance customer experience; and adapt to meet changing consumer demands that has seen a rise in all-day dining as opposed to three fixed meal times.
Tristano said: “Restaurant brands that want to raise their satisfaction scores, however, will strive to innovate, differentiate, evolve and adapt to please their guests and attract new ones.”
- Innovation depends on improving existing menu offerings and the quality of service. For example, menu developers that offer compelling limited-time offerings give customers a new reason to visit the restaurant. A current focus is on balancing “healthy” with “indulgent.” Service is another way successful concepts improve their brands. Quick-service concepts have been working on improving staff interaction. Within full-service, successful concepts encourage waitstaff to offer suggestions—based on customer input, not on margins.
- Differentiation, distinguishing a brand’s core offerings from the competition, is key to any business but certainly within the competitive restaurant industry. It creates clarity with customers and defines for them when and how to use your product.
- Evolution is about enhancing the experience, understanding the core customers and improving the offering to suit them.
- Adaptationis simply meeting today’s changing consumer demands. For example, consumers are less likely to eat according to a three-square-meals schedule. Offering menus beyond traditional dayparts accommodates them, and offers the added benefit of creating revenue at off-peak times.
Limited service restaurants scored 77 out of 100 on a satisfaction scale, a 1.3% fall, while full-service restaurants fell by 2.6% to 76.
Sandwich shops dominated the restaurant category, with Greggs and Subway tied for the lead at 79. Costa Coffee and Starbucks – which were both at 76 last year – went in opposite directions with Costa up 1% and Starbucks down 3%.
Nando’s slipped 1% to 74, the same position as Whitbread Group. Tragus lost 3% to join Gondola Holdings and the Restaurant Group at 73.
Yum! Brands’ Pizza Hut and KFC both fell 3% to 74, tied with McDonalds.
