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Chick-fil-A, Subway get high customer experience ratings

February 29, 2012

Chick-fil-A and Subway tied with Starbucks to earn the top customer experience ratings in the restaurant industry, out of 17 total chains.

The research was conducted by Temkin Group and is based on a survey of 10,000 U.S. consumers completed in January.

In total, 18 industries were studied, featuring 206 large companies. The three top restaurant chains were tied for third overall, and were the only companies in the industry to earn "excellent" customer experience ratings.

Eleven of the 17 chains earned "good" ratings, while the bottom three – Hardee's, Domino's and Jack in the Box – earned "okay" ratings.

The overall quick-service industry earned the second spot out of 18 industries, slightly behind grocery chains but well ahead of other industries.

"Most fast food chains are doing a good job of meeting their customers' needs," said Bruce Temkin, author of the report titled "2012 Temkin Experience Ratings," and Managing Partner of Temkin Group.

The ratings evaluates three dimensions of customer experience:

Functional:Does the company meet consumers' needs?

Accessible: How easy is it for consumers to do what they are trying to do?

Emotional: How do consumers feel about their interactions with companies?

Seventeen QSR chains researched

To earn an "excellent" rating, companies had to achieve at least an 80 percent rating. Levels of favorability included "very poor," "poor," "okay," "good" and "excellent."

Chick-fil-A, Starbucks and Subway all received 80 percent. The other chains were all "good" except for the bottom three.

After the top three, the list includes:

• Sonic Drive-In, 78 percent
• Pizza Hut, 77 percent
• Arby's, 76 percent
• Dunkin' Donuts, 75 percent
• Taco Bell, 75 percent
• Wendy's, 75 percent
• Little Caesar's, 74 percent
• Dairy Queen, 73 percent
• KFC, 71 percent
• McDonald's, 71 percent
• Burger King, 70 percent
• Jack in the Box, 69 percent
• Domino's, 68 percent
• Hardee's, 64 percent

Other highlights

Also, Starbucks and Subway received the highest "Functional" ratings while Domino's and Jack in the Box received the lowest.

Subway received the highest "Accessible" ratings while Hardees and Jack in the Box received the lowest. Chick-fil-A and Starbucks received the highest "Emotional" ratings while Hardees received the lowest.

Read more about trends and statistics.