Quick Service Restaurants Fail to Up-Sell

A recent Australian study of 12 franchised fast food chains conducted by Mystery Customer Pty Ltd, has found that over half of QSRs (Quick Service Restaurants) fail to up-sell.

The study, which was performed as part of Mystery Customer's industry benchmarking program, comprised a series of mystery shopping audits of various QSR's in multiple locations to find out how they faired against key performance indicators and where there was room for improvement.

The three main areas that were assessed included:

  • Presentation of Premises
  • Staff and Customer Service
  • Meal Processes, Presentation and Quality

The brands that were mystery shopped included: Burger Edge, Crust Gourmet Pizzas, Grill'd, Healthy Habits, Jesters, Noodle Box, Pie Face, Salsa's Fresh Mex Grill, Sumo Salad, Sushi Train, Wok in a Box and Zambrero.

The most interesting and alarming statistic that came out of this report was that 54% of the QSRs did not attempt to up-sell to the mystery shopper.

In a time when wages, rent and now electricity prices are extremely high, it was surprising to find that this crucial selling technique was being forgotten.

Mystery Customer's Terry Ashton says "QSR businesses need to take the initiative to monitor their sales process so that they can get the most value per customer transaction. By simply making sure that the service staff member always attempts an up-sell, the average transaction of the sale could be increased anywhere between 10-40%."

Robert Jarmyn, Sales and Marketing Director of Mystery Customer says "I think one of the purposes [of the study] is to monitor whether or not staff at the frontline are following the policies that have been developed," Jarmyn says.

"The vast majority [of QSRs] have an up-sell policy so it's more than likely a result of the staff at the frontline just not really following the procedures that the company would like them to follow."

Jarmyn says the age of QSR customer service staff could come into play, as many brands employ young people with little experience.

"There's a lot of QSRs that are staffed by very young people," he admits.

If operators are concerned their staff are failing to up-sell, Jarymn says the worst thing they can do is "run out and say, 'Not everyone's up-selling'."

Rather than instructing staff to up-sell, Jarmyn says operators should explain why it's important because "often people don't understand the value of something".

"If they get a bit empowered by understanding what they're doing to help the business, then they'll put a lot more enthusiasm into the quality of their work."

Another interesting revelation from the study was that three out of four stores visited did not have their front counter clean and clear from clutter, a finding that was highlighted in a recent expose by the Sydney Morning Herald in which Fast-food chains were added to hygiene 'name and shame' list.

Overall, the QSRs did, however report well in other areas with all venues scoring 100% for:

  • Well maintained rubbish bins
  • The meal order taken within a reasonable period of time
  • Staff members were able to answer questions on the menu
  • Orders were filled correctly
  • Food was tasty
  • Bill was accurate

Mystery Customer Pty Ltd is a leading provider of mystery shopping to businesses within Australia servicing a large number of industries including retail, hospitality, services and leisure.

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