Potbelly has engaged leading customer experience firm Service Management Group to recapture the customer experience and bring the quirky fun back to its restaurants. Potbelly will leverage a host of products—including SMG VisitView, SMG SocialView, and BrandGeek—in combination with the firm’s research expertise to uncover actionable, location-level insights.

Founded in 1977 in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Potbelly has grown to include more than 400 neighborhood sandwich shops across the globe. With a fresh, fast and friendly promise, Potbelly offers high-quality ingredients, quick service, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

“SMG’s customer experience expertise and three decades of industry knowledge make them an ideal partner for our organization,” says Potbelly CMO Brandon Rhoten. “Enhancing our customer listening program is a key initiative in our turnaround strategy and we’re committed to getting better connected with our customers,” Rhoten said.

Using SMG VisitView, a location-level CX survey, Potbelly is capturing customer feedback at the point of sale. In combination with quantitative survey results, SMG’s SocialView platform integrates location-level social ratings and comments to provide a holistic view of the customer experience, while providing the field with real-time reporting and actionable takeaways. With BrandGeek, SMG delivers proprietary DMA-level competitive insights and helps Potbelly establish competitive benchmarks on competitive visit share, trip motivation, overall satisfaction and other key measures.

“With roots in the quick service restaurant industry, it’s an honor to be selected by Potbelly to help the organization turn the corner,” adds SMG Chairman and CEO Andy Fromm. “We believe our technology stack in combination with our dedicated research capabilities will help Potbelly inform strategy and revitalize its unique customer experience.”