Consumers rank McDonald's No.1 in value, convenience

Among quick-service restaurants (QSRs), consumers ranked McDonald’s No. 1 for providing “good value,…

Among quick-service restaurants (QSRs), consumers ranked McDonald’s No. 1 for providing “good value," “fast service" and “very convenient locations," yet scored low overall satisfaction scores from consumers regarding their most recent visit, according to results of a recent Restaurant DemandTracker survey conducted by Consumer Edge Insight that asked consumers to rate restaurant brands on different attributes.

When it comes to identifying what drives loyalty for restaurants, the most commonly-cited factors in determining which quick-service restaurant (QSR) is visited most often are good value (58%), convenience (57%), low prices (53%) and fast service (51%). Great-tasting food is only the 8th most important factor in driving loyalty in this segment.

QSRs with the strongest perceptions for providing “good value" among past visitors were McDonald’s (57%), Subway (53%) and Taco Bell (48%). McDonald’s (68%), Subway (61%), Taco Bell (50%) and Burger King (50%) also score highly for having “very convenient locations." The brands with the strongest perceptions for “fast service" were McDonald’s (64%), Taco Bell (56%), Subway (55%) and Burger King (55%)and Wendy’s 55%. The top-scoring brands for “great-tasting food" were Subway (58%), Chick-fil-A (54%) and Wendy’s (48%).

The survey also asked past 3-month visitors to each brand how satisfied they were with their most recent visit and how likely they were to visit again. While McDonald’s had a low overall satisfaction score, with just 22% of past 3-month visitors saying they were extremely satisfied with their most recent visit, McDonald’s nonetheless enjoys among the highest “intent to visit again" scores, with 64% of past 3-month visitors saying they are “extremely likely" to visit again. Only Subway and Chick-fil-A have higher “intent to visit again" score, 68% and 67%, respectively. The highest “satisfaction" scores among past 3-month visitors were all earned by smaller brands, including Chick-fil-A (66%), Long John Silver (56%) and Whataburger (54%).

“For QSR patrons, the most important factors that drive loyalty to a brand are good value and convenience, with low prices and quick-service being very important as well," said David Decker, president, Consumer Edge Insight. “McDonald’s has a clear image lead on all of these factors , with Subway consistently being the second-best performing brand and Burger King and Wendy’s also performing well. McDonald’s high repeat-purchase intention scores despite its lower satisfaction scores illustrates the strength of its brand on the attributes that matter most to QSR customers. Smaller brands need to find ways to differentiate themselves to gain share of wallet in this ultra-competitive segment."