The top 10 most-loved fast food chains in America
Melia Robinson/BICustomers love Chick-fil-A for its food and service.The American Customer Satisfaction Index's Annual Restaurant Survey evaluates full and limited service restaurants.
The 2015 report released yesterday shows that customer satisfaction with fast food has dropped 3.8% to 77/100.
This large gap between the two reflects Americans slow migration away from fast food.
ACSI's Index bases its results on responses it receives from 5,023 randomly selected consumers.
"Customers are asked to evaluate their recent purchase and consumption experiences with the largest companies by market share within each of the measured industries, plus an aggregate of all other smaller brands not measured individually by name in the ACSI," according to the report.
These are the top ten most-loved fast foods in America.
10. Starbucks
Score (out of 100): 74
Starbucks' customer satisfaction score dropped 3% since last year. ACSI credits this drop to the emergence of more affordable coffee chains with matchable quality across the United States.
9. Little Caesars
Score (out of 100): 74
Little Caesars had the largest drop in satisfaction out of the pizza chains surveyed. Customers prefer chains like Domino's and Pizza Hut.
8. Domino's
Score (out of 100): 75
Domino's recorded a 6% drop in customer satisfaction since last year. ACSI credits the drop in customer satisfaction of the pizza chains surveyed to competitive prices, which many chains prioritize over the quality of their food.
7. Subway
Score (out of 100): 77
Subway only took a 1% drop in customer satisfaction, so customers' feelings on the eatery really haven't changed in the past year. However, the company's sales are falling, which means customers are starting to gravitate towards trendier fast casual spots, like Chipotle and Panera Bread.
6. Dunkin' Donuts
Score (out of 100): 78
Dunkin' Donuts recorded an increase of 4% in customer satisfaction, which makes it the only chain that improved its score in the past year. More people prefer Dunkin' over other coffee chains like Starbucks because of its affordability.
5. Pizza Hut
Score (out of 100): 78
Pizza Hut's rating dropped 5%, but customers still prefer the company over other chains like Domino's and Little Caesars.
4. Papa John's
Score (out of 100): 78
Like Pizza Hut, Papa John's also received a 78/100 in customer satisfaction. It was recently announced that the company is going to spend $100 million on a cleaner menu with healthier ingredients, which will definitely help to please customers.
3. Panera Bread
Score (out of 100): 80
Panera Bread was one of the highest scorers in customer satisfaction. ACIS credits this to consumers desire to pay just a little more for better quality food and service.
2. Chipotle Mexican Grill
Score (out of 100): 83
Chipotle scored the second highest in customer satisfaction. The fast casual chain is loved by consumers for the quality of its ingredients and the emphasis the restaurant places on supplying fresh food to its customers.
1. Chick-fil-A
Score (out of 100): 86
Chick-fil-A received the highest score in customer satisfaction that any fast food chain has ever received in the history of ACIS's Index. While the chain might have been attracted negative attention in the past, the company has since attempted to revamp its image, and there's no denying that people love the food and service.