Posted in Promotions on May 12, 2016
Finding ways to ensure customer satisfaction is the secret that makes profit margins sizzle for foodservice operators. It’s a top priority because it’s the biggest determining factor in your bottom line.
To keep customers satisfied and coming back for more, foodservice operators are raising the bar for fresh ingredients and speedy service. But while striving for customer service is one thing, guaranteeing it is a whole new ballgame. To cover all their bases, many foodservice operators are borrowing from the playbook of product-based companies and offering money back or free menu items if they don’t score high satisfaction ratings with their customers.1
Major foodservice chains are coming up with inventive ways to make good on their commitment to customer satisfaction. Sonic* is a case in point: one of the foodservice giant’s new commercials assures customers that it will take under two minutes to be served a burrito-and-drink combo or Sonic will eat the $3 charge for the meal.1
Papa John’s is also busy turning the customer satisfaction bandwagon into a gravy train. The pizza powerhouse has pledged that any pie that’s not up to snuff when it arrives at the customer’s doorstep will be free. But there’s fine print: the pizza has to fall short on a few key criteria, like being burnt or undercooked or having skimpy toppings. Plus, no more than two slices can be eaten and the complaint has to be made within 30 minutes of delivery.1 It’s a good example of how foodservice chains are trying to establish fair parameters for their commitment to customer satisfaction that will prevent them from being gamed.
Meanwhile, soft-serve ice cream chain Topper’s Creamery is sweetening the deal for franchisees with a $5K promise. In an example of how national chains are extending their customer satisfaction strategies into the business-to-business arena, Topper’s guarantees the franchisee will make $5,000—the upfront fee the franchisee paid to open the operation—in the first year of business. The guarantee of reimbursement assures new operators that they assume no financial risk. Turns out franchisees are hungry for satisfaction guarantees too.
As the demand for higher levels of satisfaction continues to heat up, foodservice operators will keep scrambling for innovative solutions.
How are you serving up customer satisfaction? Fill us in below.
*Sonic is a Mondelēz International Foodservice customer
1 Romeo, Peter, “3 Emerging Trends We’re Watching: Satisfaction guarantees,” Restaurant Business, Feb. 17, 2016, http://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/ideas/consumer-trends/3-emerging-trends-we-re-watching#page=2
