Chick-fil-A tops customer satisfaction charts for 7th year in a row

(Gray News) - Chick-fil-A is tops with customers again.

According to a study conducted by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), the chain finds itself at the pinnacle of customer satisfaction.

Results of the ACSI study are based on interviews with nearly 19,500 randomly chosen customers who were contacted by email between April 1, 2020, and March 29, 2021.

Chick-fil-A received 83 out of 100 points, outscoring all limited- and full-service restaurants included in the study. McDonald’s fell to the bottom of the list, scoring 70 points.

ACSI asked customers to rank various benchmarks ranging from accuracy of food orders and courtesy of waitstaff to the quality of the mobile app and speed of checkout or delivery.

The pandemic forced restaurants to think outside the box to keep establishments afloat, and the study shows changes made have paid off for customers.

“People are slowly starting to enjoy sitting down at restaurants again, but don’t discount the value of convenience,” ACSI Managing Director David VanAmburg said in a press release.

VanAmburg explained that customers have grown accustomed to having food delivered to their doorsteps from their favorite restaurants.

“Now that they’ve gotten used to this service, there’s no going back,” VanAmburg added. “Restaurants need to continue to give customers all the options they’ve become accustomed to over the last year and a half. If not, they might grab a bite somewhere else.”

Of the full-service restaurants included in the study, LongHorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse topped the list, each scoring 80 points. IHOP fell to the bottom of the list with a score of 74.

ACSI Customer Satisfaction Index by Debra Dolan on Scribd