Trader Joe’s operates stores in Kettering and Kenwood. It was the second-ranked company in the Temkin ratings behind Publix, a Florida-based grocery store company that operates only in the southeastern U.S. Aldi — which operates multiple grocery stores in the Dayton area including locations in Hamilton, Middletown and Springfield — and Chick-fil-A tied for third in the rankings.
Among 18 fast-food chains evaluated in the survey, Chick-fil-A ranked highest and was followed by Dunkin’ Donuts, Sonic Drive-In, and Little Caesar’s. KFC and McDonald’s were the lowest-rated fast-food restaurants in the Temkin Experience Ratings. Dunkin’ Donuts announced three weeks ago that it would open 13 locations in the Dayton area starting in 2014.
Company officials said their Temkin Experience Ratings evaluate three areas of customer experience: functional (can customers do what they want to do), accessible (how easy it is to work with the company), and emotional (how consumers feel about their interactions).
Serdar Durmusoglu, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Dayton, said customer service represents an opportunity for retail companies to distinguish themsmelves from their competitors, and is an important component of long-term success.
“Building a sustainable competitive advantage relies on high-quality customer service,” Durmusoglu said. And it’s easier and more efficient to turn existing customers into loyal long-term customers than it is to try to constantly strive to attract and capture the loyalty of those new to a company’s products or services, he said.
The survey of 10,000 U.S. consumers was conducted online during January, Temkin Group officials said.
• On the web: temkinratings.com
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