The customer experience — that sum of all the parts that affect a consumer’s interaction with your brand — has always been important, but never more so than it is today.

If the past few years have taught the restaurant industry anything, it’s that the customer experience is extremely powerful, with its ability to draw even financially beleaguered consumers into restaurants despite overwhelming monetary and psychological odds.

And given a growing population of self-appointed restaurant critics and social networks that propel opinions worldwide at warp speed, the perceptions of a vocal few can make or break a business.

To better understand the elements that comprise that all-powerful dining experience, Nation’s Restaurant News and WD Partners of Dublin, Ohio, developed the Consumer Picks survey, a comprehensive study of customer attitudes toward 139 restaurants brands. The results, which were culled from 6,800 responses, are presented in the following pages.

They are broken into three industry segments: limited service, with 92 chains; casual and fine dining, with 35 chains; and family, with 12 brands.

Within each segment, we further narrowed the results, comparing brands by menu type — pitting pizza against pizza, burger against burger — to reveal how chains fared against their closest competitors.

As you read the report, you’ll also discover which aspects of the dining experience, such as service, atmosphere and menu variety, had the most pull among each segments’ patrons — as well as the chains that best delivered in those areas.

Finally, we include demographic information noting which brands resonated with diners in a variety of groups, divided by gender, age, income and family status.

While the survey findings within each segment varied, some common themes emerged. One key finding was the relative unimportance of value compared with other attributes. In each segment, consumers said attributes such as cleanliness and food quality were more important to them than value.

Another theme revealed by the survey is the importance of differentiation. Almost without exception, consumer opinion tipped in favor of concepts with unique identities or traits that distinguished them from their peers, such as a unique service style or a singularly focused menu.

Along the same lines, consumers rewarded with high scores brands that stayed true to their core concepts. For instance, Chipotle’s reputation far exceeded that of its limited-service Mexican peers, likely because its oft-cited “Food with Integrity” campaign is widely known and embraced. Similarly, consumers gave high marks to the Ben & Jerry’s brand, a vocal crusader for social responsibility.

Another resounding theme was the importance of exceeding customer expectations. Nowhere is this more clearly reflected than in the esteem customers professed for Ruth’s Chris Steak House. For many, especially given today’s manic economy, a visit to Ruth’s Chris might be as rare as an order of filet, but the experience clearly lives up to the expectation, prompting high grades in such attributes as food quality, service, atmosphere and likelihood to recommend the chain to others.

And that, of course, is really where the rubber meets the road. Word of mouth remains key given our turbocharged social networks. What consumers think about a brand is what they say, often to thousands of other potential customers. The Consumer Picks survey brings those thoughts to light, empowering you to change perceptions into realities or vice versa.