Order Accuracy
Whataburger, which finished first in the 2006 study with a 98.1 percent order accuracy and second in 2005, fell to eighth place this year. The chain earned a 90.9 percent rating in the category. Chick-fil-A, which virtually tied for first given the sample size and margin of error at just a hundredth of a percentage point behind Whataburger in 2006, finished alone at the top of order accuracy this year, at 95.2 percent. Krystal, another consistent order-accuracy leader, finished second in this year’s study at 94.6 percent
Historically there is little variance between chains when it comes to accuracy. To the average consumer, there’s really no perceptible difference in performance. This is the case again this year, as just slightly more than 1 percent separated finishers No. 8 through No. 13 in order accuracy: No. 8 Whataburger (90.9 percent); No. 9 Checker’s (90.5 percent); No. 10 McDonald’s (90.4 percent); No. 11 Taco John’s (90.3 percent); No. 12 Rally’s (90.1 percent); and No. 13 Taco Bell (89.8 percent).
Bear in mind that every order placed for this study included one special request. As it’s unlikely that every customer on an average day will ask for something out of the ordinary, it’s a relatively safe assumption that true accuracy performance at each brand is slightly better than the study indicates.
Overall the average percentage of accurate orders fell to 89.3 percent in 2007 from the 91.3 percent recorded in 2006 and 2005. The spread between the top performer and the bottom is similar—a 14.9 percent difference between first-place Chick-fil-A and last-place finisher A&W this year versus the 14.7 percent that separated Whataburger and Bojangles’ in 2006. The top-performer mark fell from 98.1 percent last year to 95.2 percent. The least accurate average also fell, from 83.4 percent to 80.3 percent this year.
Movement within the accuracy ranking happens most every year, and 2007 is no exception. A slight change in performance can translate into a potentially large change in the relative rankings. In 2007, Krystal improved to second from 10th, and Bojangles’ rose all the way to third from 25th in 2006. Burger King improved from 13th to fifth, and Hardee’s from 18th to sixth. Two other newcomers to this year’s top-10 in order accuracy were Checkers, which rose from 24th to ninth, and McDonald’s, which improved to 10th from 16th in 2006.
Top finishers in order accuracy were also among the leaders in speaker clarity. Chick-fil-A finished first in accuracy and second in speaker clarity, for example. Bojangles’ accuracy rates earned the brand third among its competitors; it came in first for speaker clarity. No. 3 in speaker clarity, El Pollo Loco came in fourth in order accuracy.
Customer Service
In 2006 customer service was measured for the first time. Researchers were asked to measure various elements that lead to a consumer’s perception of service. Criteria were whether or not the associate said please and thank you, smiled, made eye contact, and had an overall pleasant demeanor.
Given the recent increased attention customer service has received, particularly in the quick-service environment, it is surprising that in less than 35 percent of interactions, the associate said “please” at the pay window when asking for payment.