DMI, a global provider of end-to-end mobility services and solutions, announced its first annual ranking of mobility leaders in the limited-service industry. The quality and sophistication level of mobile offerings in more than 75 limited-service restaurants in the U.S. were assessed and ranked using DMI’s proprietary benchmarking tool, the Mobile Maturity Model, that evaluates each brand’s mobile capabilities in relation to customers’ desired mobile experience. The "Mobile Maturity Model: Quick Service Restaurants" report and list of top 10 mobility leaders is available online.
By revealing which limited-service restaurants offer the most robust mobile experiences today, DMI has provided a clear and comprehensive snapshot of the state of mobility within this quickly growing industry. Here were some of the takeaways:
Fast casual comes out on top: Of the concepts evaluated, fast casual owns the mobile space, followed by coffee shops, pizza, and traditional fast-food restaurants. Of the 20 top-scoring quick serves in the benchmarking study, 70 percent are fast-casual restaurants.
Driving brand loyalty: DMI’s research shows clearly that mobile has achieved critical mass in quick serves, especially among consumers DMI identified as “Mobile Reliants.” This group, that actively engages with mobile to improve their overall dining experience, rather than just one part such as viewing a menu or using a reward card, represents nearly one-third of all quick-service diners. Quick serves that are investing in this channel are winning more customers by helping to drive increased brand loyalty and dining frequency.
Designing with the customer in mind: DMI’s research and industry insights give quick serves the ability to approach mobile from the customers’ point of view. Thus, creating well-designed mobile experiences that go beyond apps to include an omni-channel approach (e.g., mobile web, distributed ordering, third-party delivery systems, etc.) is vital in today’s marketplace.
Work in progress: DMI’s benchmarking study revealed that although some quick serves are providing better mobile experiences than others, none are fully satisfying their customers’ desires. Continued innovation and attention to improving customer experiences will help secure a brand’s position in a customer’s life.
“Today’s consumers are already experiencing how mobile is revolutionizing retail and other service industries, so quick serves can no longer afford to take a ‘wait and see’ approach," says Jay Sunny Bajaj, DMI founder and CEO. "[Quick serves] that are striving to meet the demand for faster, cheaper and more convenient mobile experiences are raising the bar, but more needs to be done. That’s why DMI remains focused on helping quick-serve brands approach mobility from their customers’ perspective to create the best possible mobile experiences to match their needs.”
