McDonald's Placed Last Again in the Customer Satisfaction Index. Here's the Chain That Came Out on Top.
Most of us head to quick-service restaurants for the sake of convenience. It gives us a break from cooking at home, and we can usually get some tasty food in the process. Even though customer service may seem like a minor issue when you're going through a drive-thru, it actually plays a role in the success of a business. Even at fast food and quick service restaurants, high customer satisfaction keeps customers coming back.
Every year since 1994, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has collected data from customers to determine which businesses have the highest levels of satisfaction. In 2025, McDonald's came in last once again after also placing last in 2023 and 2024.
The ACSI ranks the major quick-service chains in the U.S. based on a set of specific benchmarks. Here's a look at the ranked chains, starting with the lowest score.
What Are the Benchmarks?
Before we get to the list of restaurants, let's take a look at what the benchmarks are. For the annual index, restaurants are ranked based on the following benchmarks:
Accuracy of food order
Quality of mobile app
Beverage quality (taste, temperature)
Courtesy and helpfulness of staff
Food quality (taste, temperature, freshness of ingredients)
Reliability of mobile app (minimal down time, crashes, lags)
