It was a pleasant surprise for me to see some of our clients in the “Top 10 limited-service restaurant chains based on customer satisfaction.” The research study by Sandelman & Associates also revealed that 13% of QSR chains had significant improvements in satisfaction ratings in 2008. Props to that 13% who realized they better start treating their guests well, or they’re not going to have them in the future.

Allow me to be somewhat critical in this post. If QSR chains want to stay afloat in times such as these, they need to focus plenty of their attention on customer loyalty. About a week and a half ago, I attended space150’s deepspace event on trends and insights for 2009. Ted Souder, Head of Travel for Google mentioned that marketing is now turning into service delivery. I couldn’t agree more.

Word of mouth marketing is going to be more powerful than ever this year. Consumers are relying less on what they find out via advertisements and much more on what they learn from other customers. There is no science to this- customers should be top priority. What is a business without customers? So, when I see that only 13% of QSR chains had significant improvements in their customer satisfaction ratings, I have a grim outlook for many QSR chains. 13% is really not a very high number. These businesses need to ensure that they are providing a service worth coming back to.

On a more positive note, congratulations to the top 10 for providing great service; but more so for recognizing that this element of their business is vital during a recession. For the other chains that didn’t quite make the grade, it’s time to make sure your employees are treating visitors the way you want to be treated as a consumer. Again, give your guests a reason to come back. All it takes is one bad experience to isolate a once-loyal customer. Moreover, it really only takes some follow up to rectify the situation, if you just pay close enough attention. A savvy businesswoman once told me “for every customer that complains, there are ten who don’t.” If she’s right about that, one complaint is a bigger deal than it seems.

-Liz Giel