South African restaurant customers rated their satisfaction with the restaurant franchise industry as 77 out of 100. The full service restaurants measured were Mugg & Bean, Ocean Basket, Spur and Wimpy based on market share.
For the first time, the index included a category for 'other' brands, which are typically challenger brands in the industry that are not reported on separately. Ocean Basket shares the top rating with the 'other' restaurants by scoring 3.4% above the industry average. Spur and Mugg & Bean reported scores on par with the industry average and Wimpy's satisfaction score was 1.7% below the industry average.
"Customer satisfaction is determined by three key causal factors in the SAcsi model - namely expectations (prior to interaction with the brand), perception (the actual experience of the brand) and the perceived value given the price and quality of the brand," says Prof Adré Schreuder, founder and chair of the SAcsi.
"Ocean Basket has scored tops in perceived quality and perceived value and this has contributed to its above-average satisfaction score. By comparison, Mugg & Bean received a lower perceived value rating and is generally seen to be more expensive by respondents. Full service restaurants in the 'other' category are typically smaller, owner-driven businesses and it follows that customers experience a more personal touch. When it comes to customers' future loyalty to the brand, the 'other' category restaurants are at a disadvantage to Ocean Basket, which scored a much higher loyalty rating due to its larger footprint and availability."
SAcsi holds a licence with the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and forms part of a growing number of ACSI-licensed partner countries worldwide, which allows South Africa to compare its industries' customer satisfaction with this global community.
Relative to the international ACSI scores, the international benchmark for full service restaurants where this category has been measured is the US, which has the highest satisfaction score at 82 out of 100. The UK is second with 78, followed by South Africa's score in third position (77), followed by South Korea at 70.
Schreuder commends the full service restaurant industry for achieving a high customer satisfaction score and encourages them to maintain a customer-centric focus. "Our industry players have done well, but South African companies should not become complacent if one takes into account the large gap between the scores of the US and South Africa. Consumers keep raising expectations of brands and we need to keep a constant watch on their ratings for resolving complaints," he said.
Each company was measured through telephonic and web-survey methods at a statistically reliable sample of a minimum of 270 respondents per company. The total industry sample was 1581 respondents. This sample is regarded as a very reliable estimate of the industry rating since it represents a low error margin (less than 0.75) on a 90% statistical confidence level.
Customer satisfaction is measured using an advanced statistical model that has been developed in line with the American Customer Satisfaction Index methodology.
The SAcsi index gives companies detailed information to assist them in improving customer satisfaction. Each month, customer satisfaction results are released for specific industries.
Summaries of the industry level reports are available on www.sacsi.co.za.
