STUDY: Mobile Order Pickup Process Critical to Overall Customer Satisfaction

When picking up mobile orders, overall customer satisfaction was 15% higher when staff interactions were required as part of the pickup process. That's according to Intouch Insight Ltd.'s 2023 study, Emerging Experiences: Where Tech Meets Taste.

With 87% of consumers surveyed reporting having recently ordered food for pickup, the report identifies some of the trends shaping the restaurant guest experience and how fast casual chains are adapting operations to capitalize on the continued growth in digital ordering.

Key takeaway: brands that received a fully satisfied rating on the pickup portion of the digital ordering for pickup experience, yielded a higher overall satisfaction rating by 34%.

The inaugural Emerging Experiences Study features data from 800 covert visits Intouch Insight performed nationwide across these 10 brands: Chipotle, Panera, Shake Shack, Jersey Mike's, Five Guys, QDOBA, Panda Express, Noodles & Co., McAlister's Deli and Chicken Salad Chick. All of the 800 orders were placed online, directly with the brand through its website or mobile application for pickup in-store. Within this group, Five Guys, Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, and Panda Express outscored other brands when it came to key factors of the ordering and pickup experiences.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, online ordering, delivery, and pickup have all skyrocketed, and the overall customer experience in these areas is crucial to a brand’s success,” said Sarah Beckett, Director of Marketing at Intouch Insight. “While fast casuals have been refining the digital ordering experience over the past three years, much of the investment has gone into the technology to support the ordering portion of the experience. Our study confirmed that the investment has paid off, with brands scoring well on the elements of the ordering experience. However, there is lots of room for improvement with regards to the pickup experience.” According to HT's research, 63% of restaurants say their top strategic goal is improving digital customer engagement, according to HT's 25th annual Restaurant Technology Study

The Emerging Experiences Study examined a range of factors that contribute to a higher level of satisfaction with the overall digital order experience, but three key factors rose to the top:

• Required Staff interaction: Overall satisfaction was 15% higher when staff interactions were required as part of the pickup process.
• Signage: Satisfaction with the pickup experience was 12% higher when there was clear signage in the restaurant indicating where they should pick up their order.
• Pickup area: Satisfaction with the pickup process was 8% higher when there was a designated pickup area.

In addition, increased in-store foot-traffic for pickup orders has the potential to detract from the dine-in experience if not planned and executed properly. Brands should take full control of the pickup experience, testing and measuring the impacts of changes made to accommodate this growing channel, Intouch recommends.

The full Intouch Insight 2023 Study, Emerging Experiences: Where Tech Meets Taste offers more data on how the specific elements of the ordering and pickup processes impact overall customer satisfaction.

Read it here: https://www.intouchinsight.com/resources/studies/the-future-of-restaurants-2023/