Fast Food Chains With the Best Customer Service, Ranked

Cheapism

April 2, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Craig Conover picks up his Valentine's Day You Pick 2® Meals At Panera For Him And His Girlfriend in Charleston, South Carolina.
Derek White / Getty Images

Chains of the People

Fast food might come in a paper bag, but the service can still make or break the meal. Based on the 2024 American Customer Satisfaction Index, which surveyed U.S. consumers between April 2023 and March 2024, 23 fast food chains were rated on speed, friendliness, and accuracy.

Here are eight fast-food restaurants that actually delivered on customer service.

Papa John's StaffPapa John's Staff
©TripAdvisor

8. Papa John’s

Score: 79

Papa John’s is hanging on by a crust but still makes the cut as one of the chains that technically excel in customer service. Compared to where it was a decade ago — back when it scored an 83 in 2012 — it’s clear customer satisfaction has gone the way of their garlic sauce: thinner than you’d like and often missing entirely.

Elio Blanco (L) and Yenelis Garcia prepare pizzas at Domino's Pizza April 14, 2004 in Miami, Florida.Elio Blanco (L) and Yenelis Garcia prepare pizzas at Domino's Pizza April 14, 2004 in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle / Getty Images

7. Domino’s

Score: 79

Sharing the spot with its pizza competitor Papa Johns, Domino’s holds steady in the customer service race — but just barely. Being the largest pizza chain in the world should count for something, but when it comes to customer service, size doesn’t always mean satisfaction. It was more than a decade ago when the chain scored above 80 in the satisfaction department — it’s been a steady downhill slide since 2013.

An employee places a bagel in a slicer machine at a Panera Bread restaurant in Cleveland, TennesseeAn employee places a bagel in a slicer machine at a Panera Bread restaurant in Cleveland, Tennessee
An employee places a bagel in a slicer machine at a Panera Bread restaurant in Cleveland, Tennessee

6. Panera Bread

Score: 80

Panera once let customers decide what to pay and it’s always dabbled in the “let’s believe in the goodness of people” lane. While that experiment flopped, clearly, it stuck with people, because Panera for years ranks among the top chains for customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Customers are served at Starbucks in Copenhagen Airport. Itaas one of the few Starbucks coffee shops in Scandinavia and the first one actually opened in Copenhagen Airport in 2007. Now the airport has two Starbucks.Customers are served at Starbucks in Copenhagen Airport. Itaas one of the few Starbucks coffee shops in Scandinavia and the first one actually opened in Copenhagen Airport in 2007. Now the airport has two Starbucks.
mikkelwilliam/istockphoto

5. Starbucks

Score: 80

Starbucks serves over 100 million people a week and handles more than 10 million transactions per day. That’s a lot of lattes — and a lot of chances to mess up. Nevertheless, Starbucks manages to keep things mostly smooth, thanks in part to an army of nearly 400,000 employees worldwide who’ve mastered the art of pretending your oat milk frappuccino is totally normal.

Culver’s Customer ServiceCulver’s Customer Service
©TripAdvisor

4. Culver’s

Score: 80

That Midwest hospitality is not a myth — say the folks walking out of Culver’s with a smile and a ButterBurger. While it wasn’t measured last year, the chain lands right at 80, which is impressive for a brand that still feels like it should have a church bulletin rack near the door.

Geoffrey Brown and Rhea-Mari Fernandes, Base Exchange Arby's food service workers, assemble sandwiches during the Arby's grand opening in the Base Exchange Jan. 10, 2014, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Arby's started as a small sandwich shop in Boardman,Geoffrey Brown and Rhea-Mari Fernandes, Base Exchange Arby's food service workers, assemble sandwiches during the Arby's grand opening in the Base Exchange Jan. 10, 2014, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Arby's started as a small sandwich shop in Boardman,
Geoffrey Brown and Rhea-Mari Fernandes, Base Exchange Arby’s food service workers, assemble sandwiches during the Arby’s grand opening in the Base Exchange Jan. 10, 2014, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Arby’s started as a small sandwich shop in Boardman,

3. Arby’s

Score: 80

Arby’s climbed 4% this year in customer satisfaction, securing a spot in the top three — which is not what anyone expected from a place that once served a venison sandwich.

An employee handles a tray of food during the opening of a new Kentucky Fried Chicken branch on July 28, 2016 in Milan, Italy.An employee handles a tray of food during the opening of a new Kentucky Fried Chicken branch on July 28, 2016 in Milan, Italy.
Pier Marco Tacca / Getty Images

2. KFC

Score: 81

KFC’s customer satisfaction score held steady at 81 in 2024, unchanged from the previous year.

A Chik-Fil-A team member hands an order to a customer on opening day at the company's first elevated restaurant on August 22, 2024 in McDonough, Georgia.A Chik-Fil-A team member hands an order to a customer on opening day at the company's first elevated restaurant on August 22, 2024 in McDonough, Georgia.
Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images

1. Chick-fil-A

Score: 83

Known for having the friendliest staff in fast food, Chick-fil-A still holds the crown — even with a 2% dip this year. The “my pleasure” energy is strong, and the service is so consistently polite it feels scripted (because it kind of is).

This article was originally published on Cheapism

Craig Conover picks up his Valentine's Day You Pick 2® Meals At Panera For Him And His Girlfriend in Charleston, South Carolina.Craig Conover picks up his Valentine's Day You Pick 2® Meals At Panera For Him And His Girlfriend in Charleston, South Carolina.
Derek White / Getty Images

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