Consistency vs Quality

Is higher quality worth it to consumers if consistency is lacking? In the case fast food, the answer is clearly yes. Just look at the amount of revenue generated by giants such as McDonald’s and Taco bell and you’ll see that the key to customer satisfaction in this market seems to be centered around the guarantee of product uniformity. A burger from a major chain such as Chili’s, Apple-bee’s or Buffalo Wild Wings undoubtedly has a higher ceiling when compared to that of McDonald’s, but the risk of mismanagement or poor temperature control will ruin the premium product in a way that the heavily regulated McDonald’s food cannot. Some chains have found a way around this, Chipotle for example controls their quality by limiting and heavily monitoring their franchise locations. This limits the overall profitability of the business but maintains the quality and provides the consistency that seems to be at the forefront of consumer decision making. Of course, price is another major driver in this market but again the uniform low-end product offers both a lower price and the higher consistency. In addition, these chains are a more scalable and lucrative option for franchising entrepreneurs. In the end premium products seem to appeal to niche markets but the broader market has and will continue to gravitate towards these simple, consistent and affordable options.