Article
Survey Says...How to Find Out What Your Guests Really Think of Your Restaurant
Many independent operators are reporting steady take-out dining and a surge in on-premises dining, as restrictions on communal gathering have relaxed in some markets. With the current labor market, you might be most concerned simply with keeping up with increased guest traffic.
Never forget, just like you, guests are navigating a new dining landscape, with masked servers and more limited menus. This might be a great time to ask guests how they feel about their experience and what your restaurant might offer them to earn their loyalty. What is the last time you asked?
The payback from guest surveys can be more than gauging their satisfaction. Soliciting feedback from guests signals you want them to be partners in making your restaurant their choice.
While professional marketing firms might offer sophisticated research and analytical methods, an independent restaurant does not need a consultant to grasp guests' preferences and expectations. The tried-and-true customer survey can provide a lot of useful information. The payback can be more than gauging their satisfaction. Soliciting feedback from guests signals you want them to be partners in making your restaurant their choice.
"The ultimate goal is to turn your restaurant's guests into your promoters," says Carly Spross, managing partner of Flashlight Marketing. She believes that surveys can help in- dependents "break through this noise and draw attention" to themselves while continually improving the guest experience. In her experience, a well-designed survey that's acted upon by the restaurant can actually build customer loyalty and turn even a doubting guest into a concept's biggest fan.
Where to Start
So many questions, so little time. In the current environment, with restaurants still reeling from the first wave of the COVID pandemic and now bracing for the Delta variant, Spross suggests that operators ask guests about their expectations of a restaurant's health and wellness protocol to take the temperature of guest expectations of your business.
Mark Steele, founder of Restaurant Hospitality Institute in Las Vegas, Nevada, warns not to make a survey "too long and tedious." He was presented a lengthy online survey after dining out recently. There were 15 questions about the host stand, each of which required rating on a 1-5 scale. "There were a lot of things that weren't applicable, but I couldn't move on unless I answered. I had to check it off anyway, but those [answers still get counted]."
And with many independent operators having shifted a greater percentage of their business to offering delivery and take-out service post-pandemic, she also suggests asking guests what they want to see on the menu. Consider this a form of predictive menu engineering. Most concepts are in the position of reducing the size of their menus to reduce inventory and labor costs. In the process, operators face the anxiety of what to leave on the menu and what to '86. This is particularly troubling in the age of the "veto vote" among diners. Most people dine in the company of one or more companions. You can't be all things to all people, but if you learn many of your guests seek vegan offerings, you might have to take that into consideration when planning your menu.
Aside from the food, guests sharing their preferences of takeout vs. dine-in vs. delivery or operating hours can help restaurateurs refine opening and closing and staffing schedules. It might tell you if you need to ramp up or tone down your take-out service.
When operators know what their customers want right now, they can better align their operation with customer expectations. Perhaps more importantly, they can stop doing things that are contrary to their druthers.
Surveys also can provide an opportunity to find out the best place to reach them on social media. What platforms do they most frequent? What types of content catch their attention?
They can disclose information about subtle issues you might be ignoring, but are a big deal to guests. At Tavola Restaurant + Bar in Springfield, Pennsylvania, one of Spross's clients, the owners added more seltzer on the menu after they noticed customers asking for it. "[It can be] difficult to pull that information from servers because they're so busy" but a survey can be "a nice addition to trying to figure out how to meet customer needs and anticipate them," says Spross.
Keep it Simple
Survey questions can be constructed in a few ways. The most common are open-ended, where guests can write responses; yes/no questions; multiple choice questions; and rating scale questions, where guests rate their opinion on a 1-5 or 1-10 scale.
Every question should reflect one thing. A multiple-part question, such as on the efficiency of the online ordering and food delivery process, should be broken down into in- dividual questions. In this case, the efficiency of online ordering is one question. The efficiency of food delivery is a separate question.
A Yes/No question or rating scale works when specific feedback isn't needed. When operators want to know what a guest thinks, open-ended questions are best. Open-ended questions let guests express their personal opinion regarding complex issues, such as the accommodation of a dietary restriction or comfort with restaurant cleanliness.
While there are instances where this level of depth is desired, Spross recommends keeping it simple. "The easier it is, the better," she advises. She designed a recent survey for Tavola using emojis. Was the service fast or slow? Guests could circle a rabbit or a tortoise. "It's kind of fun, almost like a game and you're just circling," Spross explains.
Surveys have helped Tavola track trends and respond to individual guests to increase customer loyalty. Spross recalls when a table of customers sat themselves. They were ignored, since no one knew they were there. They got upset and left. Since they filled out a survey about their failed visit, management was able to invite them back. Had those guests taken to social media to complain, the restaurant's reputation could have suffered. The underlying issue may have gone unaddressed. The survey allowed the restaurant to act in time to mend the reputation. "We sat them at a great table, we made sure the managers touched the table a couple times, and they're regulars now," Spross adds.
Another big win came with signature cocktails, which weren't moving like Tavola's management expected. A survey showed that the signature cocktail list wasn't being given to tables at the first interaction. Guests didn't know about the cocktails, so they weren't ordering them. "It was a training opportunity," Spross says. Once hosts brought the cocktail menu consistently, drink sales rose.
How to Drive Response
A survey is only valuable to the extent that guests complete and return it. There are ways to encourage guests to fill out surveys. There are also survey faux pas that can reduce the number of responses or diminish the quality of data you receive.
Mark Steele, founder of Restaurant Hospitality Institute in Las Vegas, Nevada, warns not to make a survey "too long and tedious." He was presented a lengthy online survey after dining out recently. There were 15 questions about the host stand, each of which required rating on a 1-5 scale. "There were a lot of things that weren't applicable, but I couldn't move on unless I answered. I had to check it off anyway, but those [answers still get counted]."
While he continued with the survey out of respect to the business, many guests would have given up. The upshot, he says, is he suspects the restaurant compiled incomplete data because guests couldn't skip or choose an N/A button for variables they couldn't actually rate.
Instead of "going wide", Steele recommends that operators think about diving deeply into specific issues they want to better understand. It could be as basic as finding out if the guests would return and why or why not. What would guests have changed about the experience, including the service, the food, or the facilities?
There are two questions Steele does not recommend omitting from a guest survey: customer email and phone number. This provides an opportunity for you to contact them to get more detail about their experience. And you can add their contact information into your guest marketing database.
Easy and Effective
Paper surveys or comment cards are traditional and still work well. For her emoji survey, Spross used paper surveys tucked into the check presenter. Tavola keeps a box by the host stand, so guests can drop the survey on their way out if they choose.
Tavola uses reservation platform OpenTable, which offers an option to email customers the day after their reservation to ask about the experience. There's "no real incentive other than being timely and very easy," says Spross, adding, however, "a lot of customers respond when prompted via email." Steele recommends QR codes for a touchless survey experience. QR codes can be created easily and linked to a variety of free and low-cost online survey sites such as Google Form, and SurveyMonkey that provide some data aggregation. The QR code can be affixed to a table or on a physical menu.
Ask and Ye Shall Receive
Steele says his preferred way to ask for guest feedback isn't with a survey, but by inquiring tableside. Here is where an operator or manager has the chance to be proactive and solve problems in the moment, rather than after the fact.
Social media polls can be a good way to take guests' temperature on a highly specific issue like proposing a new menu item. "Make it interactive and fun so people don't feel like they're taking a survey and you're still getting feedback," he says.
Whether directed toward staff or guests, incentives can increase the rates of survey responses. Tavola draws from completed surveys to offer guests a free Sunday brunch or gift certificate. They run a friendly competition internally. If a server can get, say, 10 surveys, they can enjoy a free meal or get entered in a raffle.
Follow-up
Surveys tend to reflect a wide range of sentiment. Sure, there are extremes at both end of the spectrum. Some love their visit. Some hated it.
For the most part, you will find yourself with a lot of neutral responses, which are often polite indicators of dissatisfaction and should not be dismissed. Always provide guests with an opportunity to elaborate with comments, even if the survey is gathered numerically, such as with a Likert scale (typically a five- or seven-point scale which is used to allow the individual to express how much they agree or disagree with a particular statement.). Even the hint of a negative experience must be addressed if you hope for return patronage.
Use surveys to check-in with customers and track how well the concept is doing month to month or season to season. Let them indicate where a training refresher may be needed. If you know that your team is working together to create a hospitable dining environment, survey results are nothing to fear. They become learning opportunities to help the restaurant provide an even better guest experience for diners.
"Being responsive and timely is extremely important, especially for a paper survey," Spross says. "If I filled out a survey and there was an actionable item there, and a month later I get a thanks or [follow-up email], you've lost me as a customer," she explains.
Particularly when there is a complaint on a health and safety issue, it's important to be proactive. For one, you need to determine if the guest is o.k., and the cause for the problem. A foodborne illness issue could escalate into a lawsuit.
Taking a complaint seriously gives a customer confidence that you care and want to get to the bottom of the issue. In many cases, it will dissuade a guest from complaining online or seeking other retribution.
Recurring complaints should also be fast-tracked. If multiple people say an item was cooked improperly, or complain about lengthy delivery time frames, operators should investigate and fix the problem before it snowballs into a reputation issue.
Regular Review
At Tavola, managers look at surveys every night. If anything stands out, managers will follow up, often the same day or within a week. A host or server might take the lead on following up with the guest if they have better insight into what happened and want to take ownership of making things right.
When there is a specific complaint, Tavola's managers will let the guest know how the situation was resolved and check for satisfaction after the fact. "If you promise to do something, going back and following up to say 'we did this' goes such a long way. You now have created this two-way relationship with the guest and they really feel heard," says Spross.
In addition to following up with individual guests, Tavola's managers will log survey feedback using a spreadsheet. Once a month, they will check certain benchmarks, like the speed of service, to see whether they are on track. Having benchmarks gives them areas to improve.
Here, software like SurveyMonkey can do some of the data analysis for operators. "It aggregates data so it's easy to see where you're landing overall," Spross explains. She recommends taking a look at those KPIs monthly or, for a seasonal business, year over year.
Spross suggests looking at "commonalities in surveys," particularly when guests have indicated they do not intend to return. This is an area where it can be tempting to ignore feedback. The operators thinks, "the guest won't return, so why listen to their opinion?"
CHECKLIST
Survey Questions that Can REAP VALUABLE INFORMATION
Surveys can help operators discover a wealth of information about your service, menu offerings, facilities, and technology, including online ordering or delivery experience. Typical survey questions focus on issues including:
- Whether it was the guest's first time visiting
- How the guest heard about the concept
- How far they traveled to visit
- The likelihood of a return visit
- The variety of menu offerings
- How well the restaurant accommodated dietary restrictions
- Service quality and efficiency
- Friendliness of staff
- Online ordering or delivery quality and efficiency
- Restaurant cleanliness
Says Spross, guest dissatisfaction is often a result of operational weaknesses that could be resolved with systems and training. For instance, if the guest didn't think they were greeted warmly and rated staff as unfriendly, you might need to evaluate your restaurant culture and front-of-the-house training. Chances are the "squeaky wheel" guest wasn't the only one who noticed. Taking criticism seriously can have benefits for customer satisfaction and retention.
"Once you hear the same feedback over and over, there's got to be a trend," Steele says. No one likes criticism; however, Steele encourages independent operators to check their ego at the door and think of a survey as something that "is going to make us better overall."
As Spross's anecdotes illustrate, a survey can open management's eyes to blind spots or provide an opportunity to reassess how things are going. These learning opportunities only come when operators confront negative feedback with a willingness to reflect on what needs to change.
Spross encourages operators to think of it as "owning the conversation" about a bad dining experience instead of finding out about it after the fact when a negative review gets posted online. Even if guests are unhappy, but not to the point of writing a bad review, they might badmouth a restaurant to friends and family.
This can result in a loss of business. Connecting with that diner as a result of a survey gives the operator "the opportunity to say 'we can do better, we appreciate this feedback' and figure out a way to get them back in," she adds.
When the feedback is bad, Steele reminds operators to turn to their team. They're not in this alone. If the food was subpar, an actionable solution might be to check in with the chefs. If the servers had an off night, keep communication open and focus on learning experiences.
Share the Love
When guest comments are positive, don't hide your light under a proverbial bushel. Share the information with your team.
"A lot of times you're only bringing back the bad stuff," says Spross. Sharing praise delivers more than an immediate mood boost. The hospitality industry attracts people who inherently care about making others comfortable and happy. When an operator shares a specific compliment about the food, the service, or a guest's visit, it can boost employee engagement and satisfaction, and even foster reduced turnover. Employees who feel recognized for their contribution are likely to stick around while those who feel ignored are more likely to leave.
Pre-meal meetings work well for sharing highlights from recent surveys. Steele also suggests a communication board where compliments can be posted. Posting comments some- where staff see them regularly can be a subtle motivational tool, something that reminds everyone to give their best.
Use surveys to check-in with customers and track how well the concept is doing month to month or season to season. Let them indicate where a training refresher may be needed. If you know that your team is working together to create a hospitable dining environment, survey results are nothing to fear. They become learning opportunities to help the restaurant provide an even better guest experience for diners.
Above All, Be Proactive
The worst thing an operator can do with information from a survey is nothing. It isn't necessary to respond to every comment; nor is it necessary to explain why you decided not to respond to a comment.
That said, a guest who has completed the survey is voicing their opinion, and believes their opinion has value. When a guest receives a personalized phone call, or when they see that something's changed, they know their opinion matters. It cultivates the sense of loyalty that can strengthen relationships, something Tavola's management has experienced firsthand.
"Don't take complaints personally," Spross advises. Consider it a gift. A survey is an easy way to get proactive feedback, which can then be used to improve the business.
"Listening, being proactive, and focusing on the overall guest experience will show you how to improve your operations. Says Spross, it is a such a "tremendous asset" to independent operators working to determine their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and continually changing business environment.
Tips for Responding
TO ONLINE REVIEWERS
Responding to harsh criticism online is not unlike pre-Internet days when restaurateurs had to approach disgruntled customers tableside. The main difference is, online review sites make it easier for customers to attack harder and customers to respond less stressfully -- both are essentially "anonymous," and online versus in-person certainly offers a less confrontational situation.
After first determining if a review seems legitimate or not, the consensus among restaurant operators quoted in this article is that when it comes to legitimate complaints, responding privately to the user, rather than publicly to all users online, is the best, and safest, way to go. Frank Stefano, owner of Stefano's Golden Baked Hams in Yorba Linda, California, and Abel Woldemichael of Muzita Abyssinian Bistro in San Diego fall into that group.
"I think as a restaurateur it's important you don't get into a contest or a battle with the reviewers," Stefano says. "You can't go back and forth with them or take anything personally. You can't live and die by a review. I suggest looking at them and taking them for what it's worth and being honest with yourself -- if there was a mistake at the restaurant, take care of it.
For Woldemichael, he'll send a public message for positive reviews, but not for negative reviews. "We're a new restaurant, about 2 1/2 years old, and we're an ethnic restaurant so we definitely have our challenges on paper," he says. "We are lucky to have mostly positive reviews. If it's negative, I'll respond privately, but I publicly praise the people that write great reviews."
Rarely does his Ethiopian/Eritrean bistro get really negative reviews on Yelp, but if he were to have a pattern of complaints regarding a problem for which he was at fault, Woldemichael says, in that case, he would apologize in a public manner. In one such case, a couple had come in for Valentine's Day and felt that they didn't have a good experience, likely due to the fact the restaurant was overbooked that night, one of the busiest days for restaurants in the year.
"I replied to them in a private message and apologized and said, 'Hey, that should not have happened -- it does sometimes, but shouldn't,'" Woldemichael says. "Then I asked if they wanted to 'redo' their Valentine's Day on us. They accepted and I publicly apologized for the experience. Afterward, they changed their review to five stars and now they are regular customers."
When sending a private message to the user, first, introduce yourself, say thank you for posting the review, and then simply apologize. Many operators, choose at that point to invite the guest back into the restaurant for a second chance. Usually, that means a complimentary meal, or at the very least a strong discount, but it's important to note that anything other than a complimentary meal has the potential to cause more tension and rejection.
Above all, honesty with yourself and the guest is the best policy. Take the suggestion as a potential for improvement or analysis.
"We had a guest once complain that we skimped on the cheese on his pizza," says Nick Sarillo, owner of Nick's Pizza & Pub in Crystal Lake and Elgin, Illinois. "If I brought that back to my staff they'd say defensively, 'we aren't skimping on the cheese.' So instead, I brought the complaint to the staff and reminded them about our recipe, which is nine ounces of quality cheese made from whole milk; that's the way we've done it for 35 years."
Sarillo also weighed out some of the cheese going onto the pizza to make certain there wasn't a problem. Though he didn't find any skimping, this could be an opportunity to ask staff to weigh the cheese before adding it to the pizza -- an extra step to be sure, but a way to improve consistency and quality. And, instead of arguing with the guest as to whether he was right or wrong, Sarillo instead invited the customer back in. It worked; days later the reviewer changed his review.
In addition to inviting a guest back in, as a secondary note, some owners or managers will pro- vide their contact information, or ask the guest to notify them when they come in the restaurant for that second chance. Doing so not only makes the guest feel welcome, it also alerts the restaurant and staff to pay extra attention and care to that guest or guests so they'll leave with a better impression.
At that point, and at any point, don't solicit reviews, Woldemichael says. "I want the reviews to be legitimate," he says. Not to mention doing it looks like desperation and it also invites potential for negative criticism.
