‍

Do you know what your customers think about your restaurant? Or what they say about your food to others? Primary customer insights, or primary data, are among the most effective ways to gather practical and timely information about your restaurant.   

A study found that loyalty programs aided by surveys yielded a 25% boost in profits.

What is primary data? These are data you gather directly from your point of contact, not third-party reports or assumptions based on industry studies.  

These reveal the exact nature of your service and what customers think about them.

But data is an ocean of scattered information. There could be millions of data points, and only a small fraction might be useful for your restaurant.

How do you determine which ones to gather and which ones to ignore?  

Extracting meaningful data is not easy, especially when it involves consumers. That’s why feedback surveys play a crucial role.

But given the busy schedules of customers and their willingness to participate in surveys, creating effective feedback forms is a challenge. It's essential to consider the questions you ask your customers and the order in which they're listed.

That's why we've crafted the ultimate Restaurant Survey Hacks just for you! Say goodbye to guesswork and hello to valuable customer insights methodically with our restaurant survey templates for your Restaurant.

‍

Why is Feedback important?

Customers expect more than just a tasty meal. It has always been the same way. They want an experience that leaves them satisfied and eager to return. That's why prioritizing feedback is crucial for any restaurant. It's not just about hearing what your customers have to say—it's about listening, understanding, and taking action to continually improve. After all, happy customers mean repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals.

‍

Which Format Should you Choose?

You can ask customers to rate their experience on a scale (Quantitative) or provide options for them to express their opinions freely (Qualitative).

The more open-ended opinions you gather, the more complex the data analysis becomes. However, free opinions often provide better insights than rated answers. If you have a business intelligence tool to evaluate your raw operational data, you can use it to analyze your survey feedback too.

‍

Tips to keep in mind

• Choosing the Tool Select the right tool for your feedback form. While Google Forms is great for small-scale companies, larger establishments should consider platforms with customizable templates and robust analytics for better data collection and analysis.

• Time of Distribution Distribute feedback forms at times when customers are most likely to respond, such as after a meal or before leaving the restaurant. Avoid busy periods to get thoughtful feedback.

• Short, Easy-to-Understand Questions Keep questions concise and clear, avoiding jargon. Focus on specific aspects of the customer experience like food quality, service speed, and cleanliness to gather actionable feedback.

• Define Customer Segments and Personalize Questions Tailor questions to different customer segments for personalized insights. Identify key demographics and customize questions to address their specific needs and preferences.

• Make the Survey Appealing Create a visually appealing and user-friendly survey. Use attractive design elements and ensure the survey is accessible across various devices. Interactive features like rating scales can enhance engagement and increase response rates.

‍

Sample Questions for you

Before collecting data, it's important to know what you want to achieve with the information collected.

The following templates can be used for your feedback data collection and analysis by personalizing certain elements to best fit your restaurant offerings.  

Measure Customer Recommendation

Tracking customer satisfaction and recommendation can be a bit of a challenge as they are generally experiences that cannot be given a static figure. However, there’s a metric that you can use to calculate the rate of recommendation.  

Net Promoter Score  

NPS is a market research metric based on a single survey question asking respondents to rate the likelihood that they would recommend a company. To calculate the Net Promoter Score, the percentage of detractors is subtracted from the percentage of promoters. A higher NPS indicates higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Based on their responses, customers are divided into three categories:

• Promoters (score 9-10) - Super satisfied  

• Passives (score 7-8) - They may or may not recommend.  

• Detractors (score 0-6): They may even discourage others from visiting.

To measure NPS, use this formula:

NPS Score = Total % of Promoters – Total % of Detractors

‍

Question Template

1. "On a scale of 0 (not at all likely) to 10 (extremely likely), how likely are you to recommend our restaurant to a friend or colleague?"

2. "What is the primary reason for your score?"

‍

Measure Satisfaction

Measuring emotional elements such as satisfaction can be challenging unless you use advanced data analysis methods and software. But with the CSAT metric, there’s a simpler way around.  

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

This is a metric to measure the level of satisfaction among customers with their experience at a restaurant. CSAT typically involves asking customers to rate their satisfaction based on a specific interaction, such as a recent visit to the restaurant or a particular aspect of their experience. This score is calculated by averaging the responses to these satisfaction questions, typically resulting in a percentage score.

To measure CSAT, use this formula:

CSAT Score = No of Satisfied Customers (Rated 4 and 5) / Total number of Responses X 100

‍

Question Template

1. "How satisfied are you with your recent experience at our restaurant?

1. Very Dissatisfied

2. Dissatisfied

3. Neutral

4. Satisfied

5. Very Satisfied"

2. "What made your experience satisfying or unsatisfying?"

‍

How to Analyze Overall Experience?

If you have a data team, consider using free-form, open-ended surveys or semi-open-ended questions to gather more insightful data.

Open-Ended Survey Questions

Open-ended questions allow customers to express their opinions in their own words, providing a qualitative feedback technique that captures rich data. However, they may lead to lower response rates as some customers may prefer faster, more structured formats.

‍

1. Free-Form Question Template

"Please share any comments or suggestions you have about your recent visit to our restaurant."

2. Semi Open-Ended Question Template (Multiple Options)

"Based on your recent order, which dishes did you enjoy the most?

• Signature Chicken Burger

• Nut Fudge Chocolate Milkshake

• BBQ Chicken Wings

• Spaghetti Alfredo"

‍

Note: Now if you want to carry out a regular survey for your restaurant's customers, here's a structured questionnaire template that you can make use of.

Basic Restaurant Customer Survey    

General Information:

• Name:

• Email:

• Date of Visit:

• Location Visited (Branch):

Service Experience:

• Rate the friendliness and professionalism of our staff. (1-10)

• Were you greeted promptly upon arrival? (Yes/No)

• How would you rate the speed of service? (1-10)

• Did our staff address any concerns or requests promptly? (Yes/No)

Food Quality:

• How satisfied were you with the taste and quality of the food? (1-10)

• Were there any items on the menu that you found particularly enjoyable or disappointing?

• Did you experience any issues with food temperature or presentation?

Cleanliness and Atmosphere:

• How clean and well-maintained did you find our restaurant? (1-10)

• Did the atmosphere of our restaurant meet your expectations? (Yes/No)

• Were the restroom facilities clean and adequately stocked? (Yes/No)

Overall Experience:

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your overall experience at our restaurant? (1-10)

• Would you consider visiting our restaurant again in the future? (Yes/No)

• Do you have any additional comments or suggestions for improvement?

‍

Conclusion

Knowing what your customers think is key to your restaurant's success. Getting feedback straight from them helps you make smarter decisions and improve your business. We believe every restaurant is unique, and different strategies work for different businesses. By gathering customer insights, you can mix and match approaches to suit your needs, just like you’ve crafted your restaurant to perfection!

Discover more ways to boost your restaurant’s performance and stay ahead of the competition with Grubtech.