Loyalty at Full-Service Restaurants and Accuracy at Drive-Thrus

It’s hard to believe that fall is right around the corner! But we’re closing out summer with some hot consumer data from our regular Flash Points; pulse surveys of everyday consumers across North America on a wide range of issues affecting customer experiences.

Below are some key findings regarding:

• Loyalty programs at full-service restaurants
• The importance of accuracy at the drive-thru

Loyalty programs at full-service restaurants

With a number of brands recently updating their loyalty programs, we asked consumers specifically about their loyalty experiences with full-service restaurants.

• We found that 66% of customers reported being members of a loyalty program at a full-service restaurant.
• Of these, 64% learned about the loyalty program from signage at the restaurant, 35% from an email about the program, and 29% from an employee at the restaurant.
• The preferred type of reward is free items at 49%, followed by a monetary discount at 35%, and gift cards at 8%.
• The majority of consumers, 80%, find it easy to collect loyalty points but for those who do not the leading reason is they forget to collect them, 52%, followed by not knowing how to collect them, 42%, and feeling uncomfortable asking their server, 21%.

The importance of accuracy at the drive-thru

Ahead of the 2023 Annual Drive-Thru Study launching next month, here are a few data points drive-thru operators need to know.

• Order accuracy is the leading factor when it comes to drive-thru experience with 41% of consumers saying it is the most important aspect followed by food quality at 34% and timeliness at 20%.
• 94% of consumers reported they will get an incorrect order fixed, but 14% will only do so if they notice it at the pickup window and 36% will only do so if they notice before they leave the location.
• Missing food and beverage items are the leading cause of poor drive-thru experiences with 84% of consumers listing it as part of their poor experience followed by the process taking too long at 64% and unfriendly staff at 59%.

For more information on the latest drive-thru trends and performance metrics across ten of the top quick-serve restaurants, our 2023 Annual Drive-Thru Study will be released on October 2nd! Sign up to get your copy here or via the button below.

What's your burning question?

We want to help you make informed business decisions. Each of our Flash Points typically collect between 1500-3000 responses in a 24-48 hour period — free of charge!

If you have a burning question, submit your question and the results will be emailed to you the results once the data has been collected. Submit your question here or email letschat@intouchinsight.com.