McDonald's: America's Least Favorite Major Fast Food Chain

[TampaYankee]

McDonald's Is America's Least Favorite Major Fast Food Chain

The Huffington Post | By Kevin Short

There may be no restaurant in the world as American as McDonald's, but that doesn't mean Americans like it all that much.

In fact, McDonald's is the country's least favorite major fast food chain, according to a new report from the American Customer Service Index, an organization that measures customer satisfaction across industries. The report is based on a survey of 4,500 people about how satisfied they are with their experiences at various chain restaurants.

The average customer satisfaction score at a fast food restaurant was an 80 out of 100, but McDonald's scored a 71, down from 73 one year before. Taco Bell and KFC barely beat out McDonald's, scoring a 72 and 74, respectively. Here's how the others fared:

McDonald's has stumbled lately, posting lower sales as it struggles to revamp its Dollar Menu and combat harsh winter weather. McDonald's has also been a target of recent fast food protests aimed at raising wages and improving worker conditions.

It's also not helping that Americans are more likely to opt for higher quality meals at chains like Outback Steakhouse or Olive Garden as they emerge from the recession.

"In a weaker economy, consumers respond to price, but as the economy improves, quality becomes more important to restaurant customers," ACSI chairman Claes Fornell said in a statement about the report.

See original article at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/17/mcdonalds-least-favorite-fast-food_n_5504125.html

[wayout]

Interesting that the top performers, of name brands listed, are pizza. Also interesting how far KFC's ratings dropped (as well as Subway).

[RA1]

I try to avoid fast food but when traveling, sometimes it is unavoidable. On that list the 3 that I went to in the last several years include Subway, Wendy's and KFC for their grilled chicken. Subway has some relatively decent for you choices and I have found their employees pleasant. Wendy's employees are average and KFC's are below average (in my limited experience).

Interesting list and observations.

Best regards,

RA1

[boiworship]

McDonald's is such a prole place. I haven't been to one since I was in my early 20's. I'm also glad to see that Starbucks had a decline. Their coffee always tastes burnt, and their lattes and cappuccinos are bland and tasteless. I never could stand their pretentious names (vente). I always opt for a local shop or, when traveling, Caribou or Peet's.

[Guest CharliePS]

I eat in fast food restaurants only when I am traveling. The main attraction of them, aside from speed and price, is predictability. However, McD, Burger King, Wendy's, etc. , actually can differ greatly from one location to the next. Someone who rated three of them in the same location might have one opinion, yet three in another location might draw a different ranking. I have eaten in Pizza Huts that are the best choice in places where I stop, but not long ago I ate in one that was appalling in every respect, possibly because it was the only choice there.

By the way, the "scores" are not clear, nor is the supposed "per cent" drop.

[AdamSmith]

Interesting. Odd that McD's comes in below KFC, which I believe must put out competitive bids for chickens with the lowest meat-to-bone ratio. Lots more flesh on Popeye's or Bojangle's chicken by comparison.

Also agree Starbuck's coffee always tastes burnt. From buying their beans in the past, my theory is they over-roast them in order to be able to buy variable-quality beans, to put it nicely, and mask the substandard quality. Concur that Caribou and Peet's tend to be much better.

[caeron]

I go to macdonald's all the time... but only because they have relatively good coffee cheap which I can pick up on the way into the office.

I wouldn't eat there unless there was really no other choice.

[TotallyOz]

I guess I am low so as they say in Thailand. I grew up in the south and McD was a real treat. I still love the taste of the food. OK, so it may not be as good as other places in the taste department but I still prefer it over all the other places on that list. Most of the time, given a choice, I would choose McD over Wendy's even though I like the Wendy's burger better. Maybe I am brainwashed. I don't know. But, I enjoy McD.

[boiworship]

I guess I am low so as they say in Thailand. I grew up in the south and McD was a real treat. I still love the taste of the food. OK, so it may not be as good as other places in the taste department but I still prefer it over all the other places on that list. Most of the time, given a choice, I would choose McD over Wendy's even though I like the Wendy's burger better. Maybe I am brainwashed. I don't know. But, I enjoy McD.

Haha, Oz, when I was a kid we were allowed to go to McD's once a year. You'd think I'd like their food as a result of it being such a rare treat.

[Guest EXPAT]

The only thing I like at McD's is their breakfast.

[TampaYankee]

Of all of them I care only for Wendy's anymore -- the value menu. I loved the old flame-broiled Whopper but when they removed the open-flame cooking they became just another tasteless grey meat patty imitating cardboard. I agree that Bojangles and Popeye's far surpasses KFC except for their cole slaw which remains the standard. A rare trip to McD's is basically a nostalgia trip mostly for the onions and pickles which I loved as a kid.