Assignment 5: Case Study: Improving Customer Experience at "Fresh Bites" Fast-Casual

Restaurant Chain

Background:

"Fresh Bites" is a popular fast-casual restaurant chain known for offering healthy meals with a focus on
fresh ingredients. Despite growing popularity, the restaurant has been receiving mixed reviews,
especially about the in-store experience. Customer complaints often mention long waiting times,
difficulty in ordering, and confusion about the menu. "Fresh Bites" has decided to improve its customer
experience and is conducting in-depth research to identify key issues and improve its operations.

The restaurant has gathered feedback from customers through interviews, surveys, and observational
studies to understand their pain points. Now, they are looking for a clearer definition of the problems
before they proceed with redesigning the customer experience.

The following are sample interview transcripts and observational findings :

Interview Transcripts:

• Customer 1:

o "I love the concept of Fresh Bites, but I hate waiting in line for so long. The menu is also a
bit overwhelming because there are so many options, and I’m always unsure about the
healthiest choice."

• Customer 2:

o "The ordering process is a bit confusing. The staff seems rushed, and sometimes I don’t
get what I ordered. It’s not the first time that my salad came with the wrong dressing or
missing ingredients."

• Customer 3:

o "I come here often for lunch, but I find it difficult to find a seat during peak hours. The
restaurant is busy, and there are not enough tables, so I often have to wait or eat my meal
standing."

• Restaurant Staff:

o "During lunchtime, things get hectic. We’ve got customers ordering ahead on their
phones, people waiting in line, and staff running back and forth. It's hard to manage
everything smoothly, and sometimes orders get mixed up."

• Operations Manager:

o "One challenge we face is the long wait times at peak hours. We’re understaffed during
lunch rush, and there’s not enough space for customers to sit comfortably. We’ve also
noticed some confusion around the menu and order process, especially with our new
health-conscious options."

Observational Findings:

• Store A (City Center Location):

 o Observations: The line during lunch hour (12 PM - 1 PM) is extremely long. Many
customers are seen standing and waiting, while others are sitting at tables that are only
half-occupied. The ordering station is chaotic, with people looking at the menu screens
for a long time.

o Key Insight: The long wait and confusion around the menu seem to be contributing to a
stressful experience for customers.

o Behavior: Some customers try to leave the line and come back later, suggesting
dissatisfaction with the wait times. Staff appears overwhelmed, and there are mistakes
in orders.

• Store B (Suburban Location):

o Observations: The restaurant is quieter here, but there are still long waits during
lunchtime. The staff seems to manage better here but struggles with customer
complaints about not being able to find a table.

o Key Insight: The seating situation needs improvement, as many customers end up
waiting to sit down, especially during peak hours.

o Behavior: Customers seem to hesitate in ordering because the menu options are
unclear, and the lack of seating makes them second-guess coming to the store.

• Online Ordering (All Locations):

o Observations: A significant portion of customers’ orders online, but there is confusion

about how to customize their orders. The app interface is not very user-friendly, and
customers often ask for assistance when they arrive at the restaurant to pick up their
orders.

o Key Insight: The mobile ordering process is complicated and may lead to customer
frustration before they even enter the restaurant.

Task:

With the provided data, define the core problem(s) based on the feedback and observations.

1. Problem Identification:

o Analyze the interviews and observational data to highlight recurring issues.

o They should identify the most pressing pain points that are impacting the overall
customer experience.

2. Data Synthesis:

o Students should synthesize the information using tools like Empathy Maps, Cluster
Mapping based on underlying themes etc.

3. Define the Problem:

o Based on the synthesized insights, students should write a clear problem statement.
 o The problem should be user-centered, focusing on the pain points experienced by
customers while considering the operational challenges mentioned by staff and
managers.

4. Justification:

o Students should justify their defined problem by pointing out specific quotes from the
interview transcripts and key observations that support their conclusions.

Rubric for Grading:

• Clarity of the Problem Statement (25%): Is the problem clearly defined? Does it address the
critical issues?

• Depth of Analysis (30%): Analyze the data deeply and identify the root causes of the issues?

• Use of Evidence (25%): Back up their problem definition with specific evidence from interviews
and observations?

• Synthesis of Data (20%): Effectively organize and synthesize the qualitative data into
meaningful categories/ clusters?

Last Date of Submission: 25 Feb 2025

Format: Word File

Length of the Assignment: 2-3 pages

*Use of AI tools not allowed.