Restaurants and Surveys
August 7th, 2009 by 
Jared Bothwell
In the article “Online feedback’s a healthy choice” the point is made that online surveys can provide restaurants with a cheap and efficient ways of receiving feedback from patrons.
While comment cards have long been used by restaurants to get feedback they can create an issue when it comes to the collation and analysis of the feedback data. Most survey tools will offer a built in reporting tool which can do this job easily for you. Much better than having a bunch of comment cards lying around gathering dust.
The biggest issue that any restaurant will have in implementing a feedback system using online surveys will be getting patrons to actually login and participate. Incentives can go a long way in motivating respondents to login and complete your survey and promotion of your survey is equally as important.
I would suggest placing the survey URL on the bottom of your till receipts so that every customer receives an invitation after each time you dine. If you want to get really flash you could issue a unique id number with each receipt and get the respondent to enter this in the survey. This will enable you to track purchase data along with satisfaction data.
If you make the effort to ask your customers what they think of your service make sure you ask for their email addresses and permission to send news updates, special offers or go the whole hog and start a newsletter. Inviting your customers to complete a survey can be a great way to start a conversation and relationship that can go on for years.
While online surveys are a great way to capture customer data they are by no means the only way. When asking your customers for feedback you want to eliminate as many steps as possible and make it as easy as possible. Requiring the customer to login to a website may deter only most keenest.
This is why we also use BigEars. BigEars is able to capture customer feedback via telephone. It is great for both quantitative and qualitative feedback and enables customers to be able to provide feedback by simply phoning a freephone number and answering an automated survey over the phone. How’s that for ease of use?
And if you are keen on online surveys we have some fully supported options, DIY options or we can even point you in the direction of some decent free options. Talk about choice.
Posted in Customer Satisfaction | 8 Comments »
September 1st, 2009 at 10:22 am
I hate it when I visit an restaurant, and I have some ideas for improvements but then at the end of the evening the waitress just asks “how was everything?”. I’m not going to say “actually, not so great, here’s a list of 5 improvements you could make”. I think the waitress should approach me with a pad and pen poised and ask “I need your help, what can we improve on?”. That would do it.
I like your idea about the code number on the receipt, that’s cool too.
September 1st, 2009 at 5:45 pm
I agree Sheldon, although I don’t think that collecting feedback is really the job for the waitress/waiter. Even if you hated the meal it is far easier just to give a frosty “Yes, fine thanks” and never go back again. Criticism is not always well received.
September 1st, 2009 at 6:02 pm
We’ll I’d like to be asked. Otherwise I lash out like this: http://www.marketingfirst.co.nz/blog/2009/07/how-many-things-can-a-restaurant-do-wrong-and-still-stay-in-business/
September 1st, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Totally agree in giving your customers a channel to provide feedback and your point highlights this. Because if you do not give your customers an opportunity to give their feedback they will find their own way (as you did).
September 16th, 2009 at 3:10 am
Mobile research is developing some interesting options – i.e you can publish the URL on a receipt or push it via Bluetooth to bluetooth enabled phones.
It allows the research data to be as fresh as the food (hopefully).
September 16th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Thanks Ian, good point. I do wonder how Bluetooth technology will play out in market research.
It is a nice idea because it would make it easy for the survey taker. Yet, I suspect that many people would have trouble with the technology until it became often used.
June 16th, 2011 at 3:06 am
CommentBox (http://www.comment-box.co.uk/), a UK-based company, also felt that traditional comment feedback cards for restaurants was not the best way to get feedback from customers. That’s why we set up an SMS option. Restaurant guests text their comments direct to the manager whilst still in the restaurant. They stay anonymous unless requested otherwise, and the managers get instant feedback about any little issues that bug the customer. It also means the manager doesn’t have to rely on customers remembering to leave feedback on their website when they get home.
Each comment can be tagged, so trends can be found to spot where improvements can be made.
June 20th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
I think SMS is ideal for a net promoter score – you’d need a pretty motivated respondent to punch out open ended responses.