3 ways to collect customer feedback in a restaurant

“The job of a restaurant is to restore, not just feed”, remarks food critic and writer, Tom Parker-Bowles, in his recent article for Condé Nast Traveller; “the root of the word comes from the French verb restaurer after all: to restore”. His comment aptly places guest experience at the heart of a restaurant business. As you entice customers back to your venues, following two years of lockdowns and social distancing restrictions, you must provide everything to ensure guests leave with their stomachs full and a smile on their faces. After all, a happy customer is more likely to return and share their fantastic experience with others. But, how do you know whether your guests are satisfied at your restaurant? Here are 3 ways to collect customer feedback in a restaurant. 

1. Ask for customer feedback in real-time for better results 

Directly asking customers what you could do better will help you learn more about their needs. Traditionally, a day or two after a customer has been to a restaurant, they’ll receive an email survey about their experience. Questions might range from enquiring about the taste of the food to the vibe of the interior. Email surveys receive low response rates. It asks quite a lot of your customers, who won’t have much spare time, nor will they necessarily remember their full experience once they’ve left your venue. Use a faster feedback collection method to gather more results quickly; from hosting social media polls to requesting a rating to delivering a series of event-triggered feedback questions (with YOOLOX Insights). 

2. Engage with customers in-person or virtually

A TripAdvisor survey conducted in 2019 found that a staggering 72% of respondents read reviews before deciding where to eat. Customer reviews matter. In the hospitality industry, guest experience comes down to the level of customer service provided, from a friendly waiter, to speedy delivery and delicious food. Encourage your team to provide that little bit extra, whilst optimising operations in other ways to relieve pressure off your team, using a self-serve ordering platform, for example. Your team will have more opportunities to ask customers about their experience face-to-face. Yet, the limitation here is where this feedback is stored and how it’s accessed by your decision makers. And would guests be truly honest to a waiter’s face if they felt the food was average? Pair your ordering system with a virtual feedback collection tool that gathers not only more accurate results, but also anonymous customer insight, for the benefit of your business. 

3. Learn customer favourites and you’ll simultaneously collect feedback 

Customers crave human interaction and love to be remembered at their favourite places, restaurants included. However, it’s challenging for your team members to recognise every customer who walks through the door. Luckily, it’s all in hand when you use the right restaurant technology; YOOLOX Ordering is a self-serve ordering platform that remembers customer favourites and saves previous orders with our unique device recognition technology and QR codes, adding a personal touch that’s loved by guests. By learning customer favourites, you’ll understand which dishes are most popular. The next time you introduce a new menu or open a new venue, you’ll deliver the goods. 

Supercharge your customer insights with YOOLOX. Book a 15 min demo to learn more.