It looks like Subway has left an indelible customer satisfaction mark in Australia.
For the third consecutive year, Subway earned Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers Award.
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 2,000 Australians on their fast-food eating habits and choice of restaurant. As a result, Subway achieved five-star ratings in all eight survey categories, including taste of food, quality of ingredients, value for money and overall customer satisfaction.
“We are delighted that customers have rated Subway as the number one QSR three years in a row,” Brian Tap, Regional Director, Subway Systems Australia, said in the report. “This award is a result of the hard work our franchisees and Sandwich Artists put in every day to deliver the best customer experience in the industry. Offering a great choice of tasty subs made with freshly baked bread, quality salad ingredients, and prepared right in front of you, really sets us apart. We’re confident customers will keep coming back for our awesome subs that are made just the way they want and we are committed to continuing to deliver a great customer experience, delivering on our promise.”
Subway, which has more than 1,400 restaurants across Australia, also earned five-star ratings for its variety of food choices, variety of healthy options, speed of food preparation and customer service.
Other quick-service restaurants mentioned in the survey were Hungry Jack’s, KFC, McDonald’s, Nando’s, Oporto, Red Rooster, and Sushi Train.
“In a hugely competitive industry, Australians are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding where to eat, so for Subway to achieve our Most Satisfied Customers Award for a third year in a row is a truly fantastic achievement,” Megan Doyle, Canstar Blue Business Unit Leader, added. “And to do it with five-star ratings across the board is a great endorsement of the Subway brand.”
Doyle said the restaurants that respondents perceived to offer the most healthy food choices fared particularly well in the survey.
“But it’s not just the taste of food and value for money that keeps Australians coming back, as our findings show that factors like the speed of food preparation and customer services are also very important to consumers,” she said.
What’s more, the survey revealed some interesting habits regarding Australian fast food consumers. One in five respondents said they eat too much takeaway food and more than half admitted that they have, in the past, vowed to cut back on the amount they eat. Of those, a third was successful in cutting back.
Two in five respondents said that after eating takeaway food, they often regret doing it, while a quarter claimed they feel embarrassed or self-conscious ordering food that they think is bad for them.
“Despite many quick-service restaurant chains offering consumers plenty of nutritional information about the food they provide, half of our respondents told us they have never once looked at the calorie count of their favourite takeaway meal, while 25% said they don’t care how unhealthy their food is,” Doyle added. “But most Aussies are interested to know about the origin of their food, with about 60% saying it is important for them to know where and how quick service restaurants source their produce.”
A little more than 25% of the respondents indicated that they eat fast food every week; while 10% do so more than once a week. What’s more, 38% of respondents said they spend an average of $10 or less when they order fast food, while two in five spend $11 to $20, and 20% pay between $21 and $50 per visit.