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How Satisfied are European Customers with their Restaurant Visits?
By Katrin Roscher, Account Manager
To find out how satisfied European restaurant customers really are with their visits, The NPD Group asked online panelists who visited restaurants the day prior about 13 attributes, ranging from the cleanliness of the restaurant, to the speed of service, to the atmosphere. Panelists rated the attributes on a five-point scale (Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor), across five countries (Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy).
The majority of Europeans are satisfied
The majority of European consumers appear to be satisfied with their restaurant visits as over half of them rated their overall experience as very good or excellent. Out of all the attributes, ‘convenience of location’ ranks top, with 59 percent of Europeans being very satisfied, indicating that the penetration of foodservice establishments is generally good across the five countries. The attribute ‘Made me feel like a valued customer’ achieved the lowest score with just 38 percent of Europeans being satisfied.
Quick Service Lacks Atmosphere
The atmosphere within quick service outlets scored least of all attributes, with only 44 percent of European consumers being very satisfied.
Another area in need of improvement is the speed of service as just 52 percent of Europeans were satisfied with the speed. Quick service operators should carefully consider these numbers, as the speed of service is one of the key selling points for this sector.
Both quick and full service restaurants seem to lack the provision of a kid friendly environment, as less than half of consumers rated this attribute excellent or very good. Getting the whole family to eat out can make a noticeable difference in terms of traffic (heads through the door).
Friendly Service in Full Service Restaurants
The service in Europe’s full service restaurants is perceived to be friendlier than in quick service outlets. Friendly service is a crucial factor within the full service sector, as most consumers visit these outlets to socialize and have a good time.
Perceived cleanliness may be an opportunity for improvement across all countries in full service and quick service restaurants alike as just over half of the visitors considered restaurants’ cleanliness to be excellent or very good. It goes without saying that hygiene in a place where food and drinks are consumed has a significant impact on the impression a customer is left with.
All in all, the majority of restaurant customers were satisfied with their restaurant experiences across most categories and countries. However, in order to ensure that more first-time customers become “regulars,” restaurant operators should focus on key issues such as speed of service, cleanliness, and value for money. Improvement in these key areas increases the likelihood of visitors disappointed on a previous occasion dropping in for another try. Another approach may be transforming a customer who rates “good” into one who rates “excellent,” since a very satisfied customer will go to greater lengths to seek out their favorite brand.
For more information about NPD information and insights for the foodservice market in Europe, please contact Jochen Pinsker at +49-911-8918-210 or e-mail Jochen_Pinsker@npd.com.
To learn more about products and services for the U.S. foodservice market, contact Charlie Camaroto at 866-444-1411 (contactnpd@npd.com).