Restaurant surveys are a really useful tool for the owner, after all, what quicker or more efficient way is there for you to be able to hear first-hand from your customers their wants and needs? You might think that you know best, that changes don’t need to be made in your restaurant, or you are certain that everyone is already happy, but there’s no shame in getting some restaurant feedback so you really can be sure that your way is best or your customers are satisfied with their experience at your business.
Due to the simplistic nature of feedback surveys, you will find that a large number of people are willing to take part and give their opinions which is great news for you, the more responses you have, the more direction you’ll have when it comes to improvements or changes. Before we dive into how a customer satisfaction survey can help your restaurant, let’s take a quick look at how you can conduct your own restaurant survey in case you are unsure of where to begin.
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How Do You Conduct a Restaurant Survey?
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Conducting a restaurant survey is super simple and doesn’t involve you having to even talk to anyone face to face, much less bother your customers when they are in the middle of dining with you. Check out our quick guide that tells you everything you need to know.
1. Questions
You’ll be running what is known as a satisfaction survey in order to get your restaurant feedback, and you want the questions to be uncomplicated and straight to the point, where the answers will be useful for you.
Survey questions (check them here) such as ‘what did you think about the service you received?’, ‘was there anything missing from the menu?’, ‘what is the top thing that could be improved?’, are all great ones to include – you can search online for premade restaurant surveys if you’re struggling.
2. Publish and Share
Once you’re happy with your survey, use a site like SurveyMonkey to be able to publish it, from there share it online with social media, ask friends to share it also, and add the link to relevant sites such as your profile on EatApp.
3. Check Answers
Once you are happy with the number of responses, it’s time for the hard work as you read through the responses, collect the data, and see what the common answers or frequent feedback is. This is called behavioral segmentation. Check more here.
Now we’ve established how to conduct the survey, let’s look at how running these surveys can help your business, just in case you’re still not completely sure if this is something you need to be doing.
How Does Customer Satisfaction Survey Influence Your Restaurant?
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1. Collect Honest Feedback
Because restaurant surveys can be done anonymously, people have no trouble with being honest. If you ask someone to their face how they found their experience, or what could be improved, most people would lie and say nothing in order to avoid the risk of upsetting you. A survey will give you the insightful and honest feedback you need, don’t forget, every business needs this kind of honesty, even if the answers may feel brutal at times.
2. Grow Your Restaurant and Improve Satisfaction
The old saying of ‘a happy customer is a loyal customer’ is most definitely a cliché, however, it is also most definitely true. The happier your customers are, the more likely they are to return as well as tell their friends and family about you – they may even post about you on their social media pages! Satisfied customers will grow your business to the level you dream about, just remember that without them, your business can’t exist.
3. Avoid Negative Online Comments
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Negative online reviews can kill a business, just do a quick search on the Internet to read about all kinds of businesses that failed solely because of the negative reviews against them. Of course, the aim is always to receive positive reviews, this can bring beneficial attention to your restaurant and help advertise your business. However, you can only get positive reviews, and avoid the negative ones, if you’re doing what your customers want. All it takes is a few solid survey questions to help you get the restaurant feedback you need to keep the bad or business-killing reviews away.
4. Makeup Mailing List
Having a mailing list is always a good idea, with the mailing list you can message customers about offers, special nights, events, and other great things to entice them through your door via your newsletter. Sending out a newsletter is a good way to remind people you exist as well as tempting people with your pictures or offers. When someone takes part in your restaurant survey they will, more often than not, have to leave their email, so even if they weren’t receiving your newsletter before, you can add them and ensure that they do in the future.
5. Monitor Restaurant Service Quality
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As we said in the beginning, there really is no better way to get an idea of what you need to do to improve than by hearing it straight from your customers. Your customers will be your satisfaction gauge, if they’re not happy, find out why, and rectify the issues. Sending out survey questions regularly will make sure that you are only on top of the quality control of your business, and can enable you to make changes quickly when necessary.
6. Identify Areas for Improvement
Customer satisfaction surveys play a crucial role in helping restaurants identify areas for improvement. By collecting feedback directly from customers, they can gain valuable insights into what aspects of their service, food quality, ambiance, or overall experience are falling short of expectations. Analyzing the responses can reveal common themes or recurring issues that need to be addressed. This valuable information enables restaurant owners and managers to make informed decisions on where to focus their efforts and resources to enhance customer satisfaction.
7. Enhance Customer Experience
Customer satisfaction surveys serve as a powerful tool for enhancing the overall experience. By actively seeking feedback, you demonstrate your commitment to delivering exceptional service and catering to their customers’ needs and preferences. The feedback gathered from the surveys helps restaurants understand what aspects of the customer experience are working well and which areas require attention.
Armed with this knowledge, owners and managers can take proactive steps to address any shortcomings and create a more positive and memorable dining experience. Whether it’s by fine-tuning the ambiance, improving staff interactions, or streamlining the ordering process, customer satisfaction surveys empower restaurants to make targeted improvements that directly impact the satisfaction and loyalty of those who visit your business.
Don’t underestimate the power of a restaurant survey, there is a reason why so many businesses across all industries frequently send out satisfaction surveys to old and new customers, the feedback they provide is vital to a business’ development and growth, and for the relatively little time they take to put one together, you can more than enough valuable information back for your effort. Don’t let your restaurant fall behind, especially with so much competition on every corner, send out your own restaurant survey and be one step ahead of the rest of them.
