A Chick-fil-A location in Alliance, Ohio.

Chic-fil-A is proving im-peck-able in customer satisfaction yet again.

The chicken sandwich stalwart, along with Dutch Bros, leads quick-service restaurants in drive-thru customer satisfaction, a study released on Oct. 1 found. Intouch Insight, in partnership with QSR Magazine, found that Chick-fil-A and quick coffee stand Dutch Bros made 98% of customers satisfied with their drive-thru experience.

The 25th Annual Drive-Thru Study examined 13 fast food brands across three categories: classic, chicken, and beverage. The report also found that a trip through Taco Bell came in at just over four minutes, while Raising Cane's received the highest marks for food quality.

Dutch Bros, according to the report, took home the gold medal for order accuracy.

Sarah Beckett, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Intouch Insight, said in an accompanying news release that drive-thrus have evolved from an experience defined by speed to a hub for filling complex orders.

"The question is no longer just 'How do we get faster?' but now, 'How can we design our drive-thru workflows and leverage technology to optimize for this new reality?'" Beckett explained.

What did the survey find?

The overall time it took for customers to get through the drive-thru was three seconds faster compared to 2024, according to the study. The survey found that clear speakers and accurate order-taking significantly reduced wait times, shortening the trip by 1 minute and 25 seconds per visit.

Friendliness was a key driver of satisfaction, the survey found. When service was friendly, overall satisfaction jumped more than 70% compared to when a customer received unfriendly service. When orders were rated as friendly, order accuracy was also higher, and speed was faster, according to the study.

The study also looked at 120 AI-enabled orders across three restaurants and found that the technology shortened wait times but sacrificed accuracy. When staff members assisted with AI-ordering, accuracy improved.

"For now, people remain critical to the process," the news release added.

Drive-thru survey top performers

The drive-thru study found the following top performers in each of the categories it measured:

  • Speed
    • Taco Bell: 4:16 total time
    • Kentucky Fried Chicken: 4:21
    • Tim Hortons: 4:25
  • Satisfaction
    • Chick-fil-A: 98%
    • Dutch Bros: 98%
    • Arby’s: 93%
  • Accuracy
    • Dutch Bros: 96%
    • Burger King: 88%
    • Wendy’s - 88%
    • Chick-fil-A: 87%
    • Raising Cane’s: 87%
  • Food Quality
    • Raising Cane's: 100%
    • Arby’s: 99%
    • Dutch Bros: 99%
    • Arby’s: 99%

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chick-fil-A, Dutch Bros top in drive-thru customer satisfaction study. See the full list.

Reporting by James Powel, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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