Speedy service earned Wendy’s the top spot for fastest drive-thru times for the second year
in a row, according to a recent report in QSR Magazine, a leading industry publication. A
nationwide U.S. study showed average service time at Wendy’s was 138.5 seconds, compared
to the average of 199.9 seconds for the other top 25 restaurants. By comparison,
McDonald’s ranked fourth and Burger King was sixth.
Achieving the top ranking for fastest drive-thru service is a great success to celebrate.
However, we’re always looking to improve – and the report highlights other areas where
we clearly can do better. For example, Wendy’s ranked 14th in a companion QSR study of
drive-thru order accuracy at the top 25 restaurants. By comparison, Burger King ranked
fifth and McDonald’s was 10th.
Order Accuracy Comes First for Customers
What do customers value most when they go to a drive-thru? The QSR customer survey
showed order accuracy clearly was most important. The report added that there is a “divergence
of consumer demands and industry response” because restaurant improvement strategies
focus more on speed than accuracy.
Additional survey findings included:
• 72 percent of customers said food quality is more important than speed
• 68 percent said order accuracy is more important than speed
• 21 percent said speed was most important
• 8 percent said speed was more important than accuracy
Customers said the second most-important factor was an easy-to-read menu board.
Customer service ranked third and speed ranked fourth. Other factors ranked important by
more than half of respondents included speaker communications, number of cars in line,
order-confirmation boards, menu variety and service hours.
In addition, the survey also showed that 43 percent of customers said drive-thrus are “more
likely” to affect their choice of restaurant – especially those between the ages of 25 and 34.
So what does this all mean? Customers want quality food, the way they ordered it, with
good customer service – all within a reasonable amount of time.
- Pertoria, Inc. | P O Box 867 | Pemberville, OH 43450
gordon@pertoria.com | www.pertoria.com | 419-287-3534