LOUISVILLE, Colo. -- A new nationwide study of consumers' favorite quick-service restaurant (QSR) chains by customer intelligence solutions company Market Force Information shows the use of technology to place orders and pay for them at quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and fast-casual restaurants is "taking off."
Approximately half of consumers responding to the survey said they had used some form of technology to place their food orders within the previous 90 days--20% used a smartphone app, 16% used a tablet at the table and 13% used a kiosk in the restaurant.
And one in five (19%) diners noted that they had paid for their food using either a mobile app or digital wallet within the previous 90 days.
"Most restaurant brands are focusing on service as their competitive differentiator today, but that may not be the case tomorrow as technology for ordering and paying continues to attract attention," said Cheryl Flink, chief strategy officer for Market Force. "Our study found that nearly one in three consumers prefer using tabletop technology or apps to place their orders and pay. That's a surprising shift, and speaks to consumers' growing thirst for convenience, speed and accuracy."
The survey, which focuses on four popular food categories--chicken, pizza, Mexican fare and sandwiches--was conducted online in January 2015 across the United States. The pool of 12,755 respondents represented a cross-section of the four U.S. census regions, and reflected a broad spectrum of income levels, with 50% reporting household incomes of more than $50,000 a year. Respondents' ages ranged from 18 to over 65. Approximately 67% were women and 33% were men.
Louisville, Colo.-based Market Force is the leading global customer intelligence solutions company for multi-location businesses, including major retailers, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, financial institutions, entertainment studios and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. Proprietary decision-support tools comprise a platform of data collection techniques including mystery shopping, customer surveys and contact center; analytics algorithms for predicting growth in loyalty and financial metrics; and a technology platform for integrating multiple data streams. Market Force solutions enable brands to identify the actions required at the store level to increase customer loyalty and improve financial performance.
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