Alisa Watson
Tell Dunkin – Get a Free Donut – Dunkin survey
As one of the most iconic and ubiquitous coffee and donut chains in the world, Dunkin' has long been revered for its ability to consistently deliver a satisfying customer experience. But the brand's recipe for success goes far beyond just serving up a reliable cup of joe and a fresh Boston cream - it's rooted in an unrelenting commitment to understanding and catering to the evolving needs and preferences of its patrons.
At the heart of this customer-centric approach is the Tell Dunkin' survey, a comprehensive feedback program that has become a strategic cornerstone for the brand. Launched over a decade ago, Tell Dunkin' has evolved into a multifaceted initiative that collects input from customers through a variety of touchpoints, analyzes that data using advanced analytics, and then empowers Dunkin's franchise partners to drive meaningful improvements within their local markets.
The survey's origins trace back to a time when Dunkin' recognized that it needed to elevate its customer experience to keep pace with the rapid growth and shifting consumer behaviors taking shape across the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry. "We realized that simply relying on anecdotal feedback and high-level operational metrics was no longer going to cut it," explains Samantha Williams, Dunkin's Vice President of Customer Experience. "In order to stay ahead of the competition and maintain our position as a beloved and trusted brand, we knew we had to build a more robust, data-driven system for capturing the voice of the customer."
And that's exactly what Dunkin' set out to do with the Tell Dunkin' program. The company deployed a multi-pronged approach to collect customer input, leveraging a combination of post-transaction surveys, in-store intercepts, targeted outreach campaigns, and social media monitoring. This allowed Dunkin' to gather feedback from a diverse, representative sample of its patron base - from die-hard loyalists to more occasional visitors.
But the true power of Tell Dunkin' lies in how the brand harnesses that data to drive continuous improvement. Dunkin' has invested heavily in building out a sophisticated data analytics infrastructure, utilizing advanced statistical techniques and machine learning models to uncover hidden patterns and correlations within the feedback.
"We're not just looking at superficial metrics like customer satisfaction scores," says Williams. "We're using predictive analytics to identify leading indicators of potential issues, so we can get ahead of problems before they escalate. We're also integrating the survey data with other customer data sources to develop a 360-degree view of each individual's relationship with our brand."
This depth of customer intelligence empowers Dunkin's franchise partners - the owners and general managers of the brand's 12,000+ locations worldwide - to make more informed, data-driven decisions. Dunkin' provides its franchisees with intuitive dashboards and reporting tools that give them unparalleled visibility into the performance and pain points of their specific restaurants.
"Having that level of granular customer feedback has been transformative for us as franchise owners," says Sarah Chen, who operates a Dunkin' location in downtown Boston. "We can quickly identify areas that need the most attention, whether it's refining our menu offerings, optimizing our staffing and operational workflows, or enhancing the overall ambiance and service experience. And because Dunkin' facilitates best practice sharing across the network, we're able to learn from and replicate successful initiatives that have worked well for our peers."
But Dunkin' isn't resting on its laurels. The company is continuously enhancing the Tell Dunkin' program to ensure it keeps pace with evolving customer preferences and emerging industry trends. Key areas of focus for future improvements include increased personalization (leveraging customer data to customize the survey experience), real-time feedback loops (implementing more immediate mechanisms to capture in-the-moment sentiments), predictive modeling (using advanced analytics to forecast future behavior and needs), and omnichannel integration (connecting feedback from all customer touchpoints).
"We're not just satisfied with being good - we want to be great," affirms Williams. "And that means never becoming complacent or taking our customers for granted. We have to keep pushing the envelope, always striving to deliver experiences that exceed their expectations."
This unwavering customer-centricity has paid major dividends for the Dunkin' brand. The company has consistently outperformed its QSR competitors in key metrics like customer satisfaction, loyalty, and likelihood to recommend. And during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many restaurants struggled to maintain relevance, Dunkin's nimble responsiveness and ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances helped it emerge as an even stronger, more essential part of its customers' daily routines.
"Dunkin's success is really a testament to the power of truly listening to your customers and making decisions based on their input," notes industry analyst Patrick Greene. "A lot of brands pay lip service to being 'customer-centric,' but Dunkin' has put that philosophy into practice in a very strategic, rigorous way. The Tell Dunkin' survey is the secret sauce that keeps the brand innovating and improving year after year."
As Dunkin' looks to the future, the company remains steadfast in its commitment to the Tell Dunkin' initiative. With an unwavering focus on customer experience excellence, the brand is confident that its industry-leading feedback program will continue to be a key competitive advantage - fueling the next chapter of Dunkin's tremendous growth and success.
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