SeeLevel HX 21st Annual Drive-Thru Study Uncovers Delays and Inaccuracy as QSRs Struggle with Labor Shortage

ATLANTA, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SeeLevel HX unveiled its highly anticipated 2021 SeeLevel HX Annual Drive-Thru Study today marking the 21st year of the industry benchmark report and the second year it has been issued independently. The research captures year-over-year drive-thru performance and compares the consumer experience at quick service restaurant brands in multiple categories including speed, order accuracy, taste, and service. Ten major brands and 1,492 drive-thru visits were included in the study conducted by the mystery shopping market research agency.

Reflecting the major staffing shortages impeding restaurants this year, the report revealed the average Total Time required to receive an order increased by 25.59 seconds from 356.80 in 2020 to 382.39 in 2021. Total Time refers to the moment a customer enters the drive-thru line to the moment they receive their order.

"QSRs are facing enormous pressure as the pandemic lingers and brands are forced to navigate through a tight labor market, supply chain challenges, and inflation. Unfortunately, it's not surprising to see delays and an increase in inaccurate orders," said Lisa van Kesteren, SeeLevel HX CEO. "With so many obstacles, it's easy to lose sight of the customer experience, but that comes with big risks including damage to the brand and a decrease in customer loyalty. To prevent brand vulnerability, restaurants would be better served by compromising in some areas in order to consistently deliver a rewarding drive-thru experience. We're already seeing this with the top QSRs limiting indoor dining and reducing store hours."

Indoor dining was unavailable at 13% of the QSR locations visited. Less surprisingly, the study indicated a major drop in staff wearing masks from 91% in 2020 to 54% in 2021. Friendliness among staff members dipped to 73% this year, down from 76% in 2020 and 79% in 2019.

Inaccurate orders increased from 13% in 2020 to 15% in 2021. Interestingly, inaccurate orders took 71.06 seconds longer in Total Time to receive than accurate orders. Drive-thrus with order confirmation boards (OCBs) were 34 seconds faster in Total Time, up from 28 seconds in 2020. Highlights also included winners in two categories, taste and accuracy.

Order Accuracy in 2021:                                Order Accuracy in 2020:

1. Chick-fil-A                                                   1. Chick-fil-A
2. Taco Bell                                                     2. McDonald's
3. Arby's                                                          3. Arby's
4. Burger King (tied for third)                          4. Burger King
5. Carl's Jr. (tied for third)                               5. Dunkin'

Taste in 2021:                                                 Taste in 2020:

1. Chick-fil-A                                                   1. Chick-fil-A
2. Arby's                                                          2. Arby's
3. Taco Bell                                                     3. McDonald's
4. McDonald's                                                 4. Burger King
5. KFC                                                             5. Dunkin'

Additional findings include:

Inaccurate orders cost QSRs valuable time

• Order accuracy declined this year to 85%, up from a high of 87% in 2019.
• Inaccurate orders take more time on average. Accurate orders are received a full 71.06 seconds faster.
•  Inaccurate orders by brand ranged from 6% to as high as 21%.

Order confirmation boards sped up Total Times

• OCBs improved the overall Total Time by 34 seconds on average.
• Drive-thrus with OCBs were 6 seconds faster in 2021 than drive-thrus with OCBs in 2020.

Number of drive-thrus with suggestive sells jumped

• Four out of ten drive-thrus had a suggestive sell in 2021. The top upsells included combo meals, upsize combos, and larger drink sizes.
• In 2020, 72% of drive-thrus did not have a suggestive sell compared to 61% in 2021.

Safety precautions loosened

• Only 54% of staff were wearing masks at the payment and pickup windows, down from 91% in 2020.
• The vast majority of orders (97.5%) were handed directly to customers, up from 80% in 2020.

The free report is available here. For more detailed findings including wait and service times, the full report is available for pay.

About SeeLevel HX
SeeLevel HX is a Customer Experience measurement company best known for our hallmark mystery shopping programs. The company has worked with seven of the top 10 QSR brands and provides clients with critical insight into the issues that drive the customer experience and impact sales. Our solutions leverage the deep domain expertise of our executive team and staff, covering all customer-facing industries, CPG companies and manufacturers.

Our suite of B2C and B2B mystery shopping measurement solutions includes Mobile App and GPS Testing, Compliance Audits, Pricing Studies, Social Media Monitoring, Online Customer Experience, Market Landscape, and Competitive Analysis.

2021 QSR Drive-Thru Performance Study Methodology
Data for the 2021 SeeLevel HX Annual Drive-Thru Study was collected and tabulated by SeeLevel HX. In its 21st year, it's the only report that consistently tracks metrics across the top 10 QSR brands year-over-year. The study included 10 chains and data from 1,492 visits, with the following breakdown of 166 visits to Chick-fil-A and Wendy's, 165 visits each to Arby's, Burger King, Dunkin', KFC, McDonald's and Taco Bell, and 85 visits each to Carl's Jr. and Hardee's.

Visits were conducted across the country, across all regions, and dayparts. No restaurant location was visited more than once. Drive-thrus were measured by speed of service, order accuracy, suggestive sells, COVID-19, speaker clarity, menu board appearance, and order confirmation boards.

All data was collected between July 2021 and early August 2021. Additional methodology can be found within the full report.

SOURCE SeeLevel HX