Case Study
In-N-Out Burger:
The Power of Customer Delight
In-N-Out Burger opened its first restaurant in
Baldwin Park, California, in 1948. It was a simple affair, with two drive-through lanes, a walkup window, outdoor seating, and a menu that boasted only burgers, shakes, fries, and soft drinks. That was a pretty standard format for the time. In fact, another California burger stand fitting about the same description was opened that same year just 45 minutes away by the McDonald brothers. Today, however,
In-N-Out is pretty much the exact opposite of
McDonald’s. Whereas McDonald’s now operates more than 32,000 stores worldwide and pulls in more than $79 billion in annual system-wide sales, In-N-Out has less than 250 stores in four states and about $400 million in annual sales.
But In-N-Out Burger never wanted to be another McDonald’s. And despite its smaller size—or perhaps because of it—In-N-Out’s customers like the regional chain just the way it is. When it comes to customer satisfaction— make that customer delight—In-N-Out beats
McDonald’s hands down. It regularly posts the highest customer satisfaction scores of any fast-food restaurant in its market area. Just about anyone who’s been to In-N-Out thinks it makes the best burger they’ve ever had.
In-N-Out has earned an almost cultlike following by doing something unthinkable: not changing. From the start, the chain has focused tenaciously on customer well-being. Its founding philosophy is as strongly held today as it was when the first In-N-Out Burger opened its doors:
“Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.”
Unlike McDonald’s or Burger King, which introduce a seemingly unending stream of new menu items, In-N-Out’s simple menu never changes. Instead, In-N-Out still focuses on what it does well: making really good hamburgers, really good fries, and really good shakes—that’s it. The
The Power of Customer Delight
In-N-Out Burger opened its first restaurant in
Baldwin Park, California, in 1948. It was a simple affair, with two drive-through lanes, a walkup window, outdoor seating, and a menu that boasted only burgers, shakes, fries, and soft drinks. That was a pretty standard format for the time. In fact, another California burger stand fitting about the same description was opened that same year just 45 minutes away by the McDonald brothers. Today, however,
In-N-Out is pretty much the exact opposite of
McDonald’s. Whereas McDonald’s now operates more than 32,000 stores worldwide and pulls in more than $79 billion in annual system-wide sales, In-N-Out has less than 250 stores in four states and about $400 million in annual sales.
But In-N-Out Burger never wanted to be another McDonald’s. And despite its smaller size—or perhaps because of it—In-N-Out’s customers like the regional chain just the way it is. When it comes to customer satisfaction— make that customer delight—In-N-Out beats
McDonald’s hands down. It regularly posts the highest customer satisfaction scores of any fast-food restaurant in its market area. Just about anyone who’s been to In-N-Out thinks it makes the best burger they’ve ever had.
In-N-Out has earned an almost cultlike following by doing something unthinkable: not changing. From the start, the chain has focused tenaciously on customer well-being. Its founding philosophy is as strongly held today as it was when the first In-N-Out Burger opened its doors:
“Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.”
Unlike McDonald’s or Burger King, which introduce a seemingly unending stream of new menu items, In-N-Out’s simple menu never changes. Instead, In-N-Out still focuses on what it does well: making really good hamburgers, really good fries, and really good shakes—that’s it. The