Steak ’n Shake Customer Service: an Expert Operational Guide
Overview and history
Steak ’n Shake was founded in 1934 in Normal, Illinois, and grew into a mid-market fast-casual chain known for steakburgers and hand-dipped milkshakes. That founding year is important because it explains the brand positioning: a legacy operator with standardized products and expectations around consistency, speed, and diner-style hospitality. As of the early 2020s the system was a mix of corporate and franchised locations, with roughly 500–600 restaurants operating across the United States (locations change annually due to openings and closures).
Customer service at a century-old quick-service brand is multi-layered: frontline (in-store and drive-thru), digital (mobile app, third-party delivery), and corporate guest relations. Understanding which layer owns a problem is essential for timely resolution—simple in-store issues are often solved immediately by a manager, while systemic or legal issues require escalation to regional or corporate teams.
How Steak ’n Shake customer service is organized
Frontline staff, shift managers, and general managers handle the majority of guest complaints on site. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) direct managers to offer refunds, remakes, or coupons based on issue severity. Typical in-store resolution goals are immediate correction for food quality or order accuracy complaints and an on-the-spot goodwill gesture (free item or discount) for service failures. For safety or serious health concerns (allergic reaction, foreign object), standard protocol is to document the incident and notify regional operations within 24 hours.
Corporate (or franchisor) guest relations handles escalations beyond the local GM’s authority: complex refunds, legal complaints, corporate policy exceptions, and PR incidents. Response time targets for corporate email/web submissions are commonly 24–72 business hours for initial contact, with full investigation and final response within 7–14 business days depending on the case complexity. Third-party platforms (Yelp, Google Reviews, Facebook) are often monitored and can produce faster acknowledgement but are not substitutes for formal complaints when refunds or investigations are needed.
How to contact Steak ’n Shake and what to prepare
The fastest route for most problems is to return to the restaurant (if practical) and speak to the manager on duty; location phone numbers are posted on the company website and on location signage. Corporate resources are centralized on the official website, https://www.steaknshake.com, where you can find a “Contact Us” or “Guest Services” link and the brand’s social pages (Facebook and X/Twitter @SteaknShake). For delivery problems, contact the delivery partner first (DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.) and then the restaurant if needed.
- Information to have ready when contacting customer service: date and time of visit, restaurant location (city, state — use the store number if on the receipt), order number or receipt, the exact items involved, employee names or descriptions if relevant, photos of food/receipt/damage, and preferred resolution (refund, remake, coupon, escalation).
- Documentation tips: save digital receipts/emails, timestamp photos, and note names/shift times. If you paid by card, have the last 4 digits available for verification; if you paid cash, a manager can verify with the register log or surveillance review.
Common policies and practical timelines
Refund and remake policies are generally pragmatic: managers will remake incorrect or cold food immediately. Refunds for card payments typically require a card reversal or manager-initiated register refund; bank posting can take 3–7 business days depending on the processor. For online or app orders, refunds may be returned to the original payment method or issued as store credit/gift cards depending on franchise operator policy—expect 5–10 business days for app/system reconciliation.
Gift cards and e-gift certificates are usually redeemable at participating locations; terms vary by franchisee. Nutrition and allergen information is published on the company website and in many restaurants—ask for the printed allergen guide or check the online PDF when making allergen-sensitive requests. For documented health incidents, the restaurant should collect contact details and cooperate with public health investigators; escalate to corporate if you do not receive acknowledgement within 24 hours.
If the local manager does not resolve the issue, escalate to the regional operations manager or use the website’s guest relations form. Public posts on social platforms often get rapid acknowledgement, but do not substitute for formal claims involving refunds or legal concerns. For persistent or unaddressed complaints, filing a report with your state consumer protection agency or the Better Business Bureau (BBB) can trigger an independent mediation; provide all documentation and correspondence timestamps when filing.
- Escalation route with expected timeframes: in-store manager (immediate), regional operations/corporate guest relations (24–72 business hours to acknowledge; 7–14 days for full response), social media outreach (acknowledgement often within 24 hours), and external agencies/BBB (variable; typically weeks for mediation).
Practical tips for consumers and managers
Consumers: be concise, factual, and polite—provide receipts and photos up front and state the exact remedy you want. That reduces time to resolution. If you want a refund, ask for the method (card reversal vs. store credit) before you leave.
Managers and staff: document every complaint in the incident log, offer a clear timeline for corporate escalation, and follow up with customers with a specific date/time for resolution. Using measured apologies and concrete remedial steps (refund/remake/coupon) preserves loyalty and reduces public escalations.
