In a recent survey of restaurant customers in the United States, when it comes to identifying what drives loyalty for restaurants, the most commonly-cited factors in determining which quick-service restaurant is visited most often are good value (58%), convenience (57%), low prices (53%), and fast service (51%). Great-tasting food is only the 8th most important factor in driving loyalty in this segment.
The survey also asked consumers to rate restaurant brands on different attributes. The quick-service brands with the strongest perceptions for providing "good value" among past visitors were McDonald's (57%), Subway (53%) and Taco Bell (48%). McDonald's (68%), Subway (61%), Taco Bell (50%) and Burger King (50%) also score highly for having "very convenient locations." The brands with the strongest perceptions for "fast service" were McDonald's (64%), Taco Bell (56%), Subway (55%), and Burger King (55%)and Wendy's 55%. The top-scoring brands for "great-tasting food" were Subway (58%), Chick-fil-A (54%), and Wendy's (48%).
The survey also asked past-three-month-visitors to each brand how satisfied they were with their most recent visit and how likely they were to visit again. While McDonald's had a low overall satisfaction score, with just 22% of past-three-month-visitors saying they were extremely satisfied with their most recent visit, McDonald's nonetheless enjoys among the highest Intent to Visit Again scores, with 64% of past-three-month visitors saying they are "extremely likely" to visit again. Only Subway and Chick-fil-A have higher Intent to Visit Again scores, 68% and 67% respectively. The highest Satisfaction scores among past 3-month visitors were all earned by smaller brands: Chick-fil-A (66%), Long John Silver (56%), and Whataburger (54%).
"For quick-service restaurant patrons the most important factors that drive loyalty to a brand are good value and convenience, with low prices and quick-service being very important as well," said David Decker, President, Consumer Edge Insight. "McDonald's has a clear image lead on all of these factors, with Subway consistently being the 2nd-best performing brand and Burger King and Wendy's also performing well. McDonald's high repeat-purchase intention scores despite their lower satisfaction scores illustrates the strength of their brand on the attributes that matter most to quick-service customers. Smaller brands need to find ways to differentiate themselves to gain share of wallet in this ultra-competitive segment."
