The Customer Service Crusade
When Value Doesn’t Match the Picture
Fast food restaurants are in a tough spot right now. Prices are up, customers are paying closer attention, and what used to be a quick $7.99 combo meal can now easily become $13.99, $15.99, or even more. In some cases, once you add tax, you are over $20 for what used to be a quick, affordable stop.
That creates a real challenge for restaurants. They still have to cover their costs. Food costs are up. Labor costs are up. Rent, utilities, insurance, packaging, and just about everything else has gone up too. I understand that. But customers still deserve value.
Recently, I was traveling through a part of town where I used to live. A lot had changed since I left the area about 10 years ago. There were new buildings, new businesses, and new restaurants. One of those places was Farmer Boys. I had never been there before, so I thought I would give it a try.
The first thing I noticed was the pricing. Many of the sandwiches by themselves were around $13. Add fries and a drink, and the combo was another $6 or so. Now we are over $20 with tax. No thanks. I’ll pass.
Then I saw a chicken strip combo for around $9.99. That seemed more reasonable. I knew I was getting three pieces of chicken, so I was not expecting a giant platter of food. But I also was not prepared for what showed up.
It was three small chicken strips, a modest pile of fries, a piece of white bread with butter spread on it, and a small cup of sauce. It was one of the saddest chicken tender presentations I have seen.
Maybe my expectations were misaligned. That is always possible. But I can promise you this: the picture of the combo did not look like what I received.
And that is where this becomes a customer service issue.
Customer service is not just about whether the person behind the counter is friendly. It is not just about whether the food came out quickly. It is not just about whether the order was technically correct. Customer service is also about the promise you make to the customer.
The menu board is a promise. The photo is a promise. The price is a promise. And the product has to come close enough to that promise for the customer to feel respected.
When a customer sees a photo and makes a purchase based on that photo, the actual product should be a fair representation of what was advertised. It does not have to be perfect. Everyone understands that food photography is staged. We know the sandwich in the picture is probably going to look better than the sandwich in the bag. But there is a difference between not perfect and not even close.
That gap is where trust gets damaged.
The issue is not just portion size. It is perceived value. Soda costs pennies. Fries are one of the cheaper and more plentiful sides in fast food. A piece of white bread with butter spread is not exactly a premium addition. So when the main item is also underwhelming, the whole meal starts to feel like the customer is being squeezed.
And once a customer feels that way, it is hard to win them back.
The Customer Service Crusade is about showing the good, the bad, and the ugly. We take no joy in highlighting a bad experience, bad service, or a disappointing product. But taking advantage of customers is not acceptable. Neither is overcharging for paltry portions. Neither is using photography that creates an expectation the product does not meet.
Restaurants, and really all businesses, need to remember something simple: customers are making value judgments every time they buy. They are asking themselves whether it was worth it, whether they would come back, whether they would recommend it, and whether they felt respected.
That last one matters more than many businesses realize.
A customer can accept higher prices when the experience feels fair. A customer can accept smaller portions when the quality is excellent. A customer can accept simple food when it is priced appropriately. But when the price, the photo, and the actual product do not line up, the customer feels like the deal was not honest.
That is bad faith. And bad faith is bad customer service.
Here is the Lesson
Make sure the customer gets what you promised.
If your prices are going up, your value has to be clear. If your portions are smaller, your presentation has to be better. If your menu photography is selling the meal, the actual meal needs to be reasonably close to what the customer expects.
This applies far beyond fast food. The service company that promises white glove service better show up professionally. The contractor who promotes premium quality better deliver premium quality. The consultant who promises strategy better not hand over a generic template. The restaurant that shows a full, appealing meal better not serve something that makes the customer feel shortchanged.
Customers do not expect perfection. They do expect fairness. They expect honesty. They expect the product or service to match the promise. And when it does not, the business should not be surprised when the customer does not return.
This is also part of Social Magnet Marketing, because customer service and marketing are connected. Good marketing may get a customer’s attention, but the actual experience is what earns trust. Every customer interaction affects the brand, the reputation, the reviews, the referrals, and the decision to come back.
Final Thought
In today’s economy, customers are already sensitive to price. They know things cost more. They know businesses are dealing with higher expenses. But that does not give a business permission to lower the value while raising the price.
If you want customers to keep coming back, make them feel like they received a fair deal. Give them a product that matches the promise. Respect the customer’s money.
Because once the customer feels taken advantage of, the relationship is probably over.
That is the Customer Service Crusade.