A study of twelve quick service restaurant brands by independent shopping company Mystery Customer has found that over half of QSRs fail to up-sell.
The study 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 areas that were assessed included: presentation of premises; staff and customer service; and meal processes, presentation and quality.
The most alarming statistic that came out of this report was 54 per cent of the QSRs did not attempt to up-sell to the mystery shopper, particularly in a time when wages, rent and now electricity prices are extremely high and up-selling a crucial selling technique.
“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 per cent,” Mystery Customer’s Terry Ashton said.
The study also revealed three out of four stores visited did not have their front counter clean and clear from clutter.
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. Each brand was mystery shopped twice, each at a different location. Overall, twenty four mystery shopping audits were conducted to create the report.