Serving Up Friendliness

In the vibrant and diverse culinary landscape of Jamaica, local and international quick-service restaurants (QSRs) play a significant role in satisfying the population’s appetite. Beyond the delicious offerings and speedy service, customer satisfaction is the key ingredient that keeps patrons coming back for more. To get a pulse on the state of customer service in fast food establishments across the island, a recent customer pulse survey delved into one crucial question: "How satisfied are you with the level of customer service received at fast food restaurants you visit ?” Respondents were asked to consider only the engagements they had with cashiers and servers, and specifically the acknowledgment/greeting, friendliness, attitude and appreciation received.

Survey Methodology

The survey, conducted across various regions in Jamaica, targeted a diverse demographic to capture this snapshot view of the customer experience. Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction levels on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being "Very Dissatisfied" and 5 being "Very Satisfied." The question aimed to explore the nuances of interactions with cashiers and servers, shedding light on the overall service quality.

Targets

Location - All Island

Sample - 1000 (desired); 880 (actual)

Age Range - 18 to 45

Criteria - Patrons who visits QSRs 2x or more weekly & have visited all restaurants in list at least once in the past 90 days

Restaurants - Fast Food Restaurants with 5 or more locations that cater to carryout and dine-in patrons (i.e. Local and International brands)

Key Findings

The majority of respondents, 37% to be exact, expressed neutral satisfaction with the customer service provided by Jamaican fast food establishments. 33% of the total respondents provided favorable ratings, while 30% rated restaurants non favorably. High percentage of neutral ratings indicate that restaurants stand to make significant improvements in Customer Service levels should a true customer centric approach to business be taken.

Juici Patties, a local restaurant chain with over 60 locations islandwide, bested eight other local and international brands for overall customer service levels specific to guest engagement. Employees that engaged customers were found to have a friendly upbeat attitude, warm and welcoming greeting, and showed great appreciation for customers business.

Conclusion

This survey was meant to capture customer sentiments and favorability for QSRs in Jamaica, and while data represents a snapshot of the customer's experience, it is important to understand guest engagement as it is often seen as the key driver for a consumers to patronize a place of business. Recent staffing constraints have plagued many companies with operations efficiency, however it should be noted that Customer Service from an engagement standpoint is the most controllable with the right management of people and culture. Restaurants which received higher favorable ratings were noted as having strong people initiatives and accountability for systems/procedures.

For a more comprehensive look at Customer Experience, The Get Savvy Team recommends inspecting other key indicators such as Cleanliness, Order Accuracy, Speed of Service, and Taste/Quality of Food, in addition to customer service.