USA | New research by Chatmeter has explored how customer reviews and service have declined in the past 12 months.
Chatmeter has released its 2025 QSR Reputation Ranking, ranking the best 10 quick-serve restaurants (QSRs) based on customer reviews of food quality, service and value.
This year, Hardee’s took the top spot, edging last year’s winner, Chick-fil-A, into second place. Firehouse Subs rounded out the top three. Chick-fil-A retained the top slot for Customer Service, while Little Caesars was top-ranked in Value and Hardee’s was number one in Food Quality.
“For the second year in a row, we’re seeing customers are increasingly unhappy with the service and food they’re getting at fast food restaurants,” said John Mazur, CEO of Chatmeter.
“QSRs are focusing on deals and marketing campaigns, while consumers just want them to serve high-quality meals and stop nickel-and-diming them on things like sauce. This year’s findings represent a dire need in the industry to listen better and gain real-time customer intelligence.”
Report Key Findings
- Customer Service Continues to Slide -The percentage of reviews mentioning customer service increased 17 percent year-over-year and sentiment declined by 1.5 percent, with customers complaining about rude service, long wait times, incorrect orders and negative staff interactions.
- Menu Items Don’t Live Up to the Hype -Food quality was mentioned 11 percent more frequently as discussions of price declined. While consumers continue to prioritise value, they ultimately want food that feels “worth it,” and QSRs did not deliver, with sentiment around food quality declining 3.4 percent YoY.
- Consumers Fed Up With “Sauce-Flation” -Sauces have grown in popularity among Gen Z and Millennial consumers who consider them an easy, low-cost way to personalise and improve menu items. But customers are frustrated by extra charges for sauce or not receiving enough sauce with their orders. Chains that offer free sauce saw sentiment improve, while those charging for or limiting sauces saw it decline.
Chatmeter used Pulse AI to analyse more than 300,000 reviews across 26 of the largest QSRs to determine the rankings and uncover key trends in customer feedback.
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