Best way to get customer feedback?

Hi, all,
 
I am curious about what's your best method of getting direct customer feedback? Comment cards, online surveys, phone surveys, etc. What do you use and what seems to be the most effective? Face-to-face communication, while important to any restaurant,  should not count here since it's not really quantifiable or trackable.
 
Full disclosure: I am thinking about writing software for feedback gathering and management. Thought this would be a great place to get some inside knowledge. And yes, I have been talking to local restaurant owners and managers with great responses, but I'd like to reach out to a wider audience. Thank you in advance!

Face-to-face communication, while important to any restaurant,  should not count here since it's not really quantifiable or trackable. 
I guess if I was writing software I would like this ignored too.
As far as I'm concerned the true test is clean plates and the expression on the customers face. You don't get that from paper,soft ware or food critics. You get it directly.

A little like saying you can't trace word of mouth advertising other than your place is full or empty.

The only way I have ever known to get the truth is to observe tables each and every night and first person interaction. Comment cards and the like do not tell the truth.

I appreciate your comments.
 
This is interesting because when I interview restaurant owners and managers in person (I have interviewed over 70 local restaurants in the past month), the consensus seems to be that face-to-face communication is important, but the customers are sometimes too nice to give honest feedback. Anonymity uncovers some problems that one would never get from a direct face-to-face communication. Another issue comes from the limitation of your time. It's unrealistic for you, the owner or manager, to always be there and ask every single customer for their feedback. The real issue, however, comes from the accountability and tracking. Verbal communication, while very personal, is hard to track or quantify, unless one writes it down or types it into a computer.
 
I am not denying the importance of face-to-face human interaction, it's obviously very important to any restaurant or business in general, but I do not feel this could be replaced by any software, nor am I intending to do so. Please do not be alarmed, as this is not a discussion about how important face-to-face communication is, rather I am quite curious about the effectiveness of any trackable customer feedback method you are implementing. Your feedback (no pun intended) is greatly appreciated :)

Sure, if someone asks me if everything is ok I say yes, I don't want to be bothered telling them their food or service is crap.They need to be smart enough to figure that out themselves. If they watch their customers body language and plates they'll know. If it's garbage I just won't go back. If they give me a survey it goes in the nearest bin. I can't believe how many business owners out there can't figure this out. Thin the herd. If I can't find the time to figure out what my customers think it's curtains for me.

Ice Cream Man, so as a customer you would hate to take a survey right? Because it's time consuming?  I'm assuming you are a restaurant owner? Have you tried any feedback method other than face-to-face communication, body language reading, and gut instincts? 

Ice Cream Man
If it's garbage I just won't go back.

Ideally though you'd want to get an inkling that something is wrong before it reaches that point and your business really starts to sag.
 

 
 

Because they are annoying.
When I go into a business I assume they will have their act together if not surveys probably won't help.
I don't advertise or do surveys. My customers advertise for me and give me all the feedback I need. I also don't do specials, coupons or discounts unless it's charity.
What I do is research. That's something that is really lacking.
Home Depot does surveys and still suck at service.

Survey is merely a tool. In the end it's up to the person that's using the tool to derive any use from it. A laptop could be used as a paper weight, but it could also send a rover to Mars. 
 
It sounds like you run a very successful restaurant, and you have happy and loyal customers. Congratulations! You mentioned that you do research. Can I ask what type of research you do and how you do it? I have not personally run a restaurant (my family does though), but I did own a service oriented business before, and I learned to appreciate the power of metrics. In the right hand, the right data and metrics could help eliminate waste, save time and money, and ultimately make the customers happy. That is a software solution I am looking to create.

You are doing research now, so am I.
What Type, every type I can find.
You don't really want me to list all the places I go to do research do you.
This is the #1 place on the web but there are many more.
My competitors.
All wholesalers.
Just to name a few, most research is free it just takes time. 

A restaurant is a creation from the passion and experience someone or a small group of people possess. It is not meant to be a re-creation. The successful owner shows the customer/guest what they are capable of doing. The guest/customer does not tell the business owner what to do or how to do it. Surveys and the like are garbage.

The guest/customer does not tell the business owner what to do or how to do it. 
That's a fine line isn't it.
Ever go to a place where the menu is ten pages long, as soon as someone says you should have this or do it this way the owner jumps right on it. They watch Triple D, next thing you know they have a ten pound burger. We have to listen to our customers and read their minds but we still have to stay focused.

I think I can draw that analogy in the software world as well. I've talked to many restaurant owners and everyone has a feature that they want. Does that mean I need to add all of the features in the software? Probably not. It will become unusable. It's better to stay focused and deliver a useful and valuable experience. Steve Jobs put it quite well, "Customers don't know what they want!"
 
I appreciate your feedback guys. Any restaurant owner stands on the other side of this fence and think surveys and other methods of getting data and feedback are useful?

Steve Jobs put it quite well, "Customers don't know what they want!" 
In most cases, if it's good they'll take what you have.
The ones you have to watch out for are the ones that want something special and you only see them once a year.
Most small businesses need to stay focused on their best sellers and customers. 

Simple way.. Make a facebook page and have them write what they think.. Its quick and easy for the customers and free for you!!  plus you get results fast!  Everyone almost has a face book page  and can access it anywhere and anytime. and for everyone who makes a post you can have a drawing for a free product.. will excite people and entice them to make a comment.. .

I've been considering a sign: "If you enjoyed yourself, tell Yelp. If you didn't, tell us!"
 
Bart

bartl


I've been considering a sign: "If you enjoyed yourself, tell Yelp. If you didn't, tell us!"

Bart

Ha, that's pretty funny.
 
My software idea actually is in the same vein. After the survey is taken, if the ratings and comments are positive then it would direct the customer to share their feedback with the public (Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, etc), but if the ratings and comments are negative then it would direct them to you, the owner. Two birds (feedback & marketing) with one stone!
 
Ice Cream Man, Tsboss, bartl. I'd like to offer you my software for trial. Ice Cream Man is against the idea of surveys, but I hope this solution could change your mind about the merit of data. Tsboss uses Facebook, so I'm assuming you are more inclined toward technology, and I think you will enjoy using the solution. bartl you don't have to print that sign any more, as I will give you a streamlined tool to hopefully achieve that. I am looking for 5 early testers from different internet communities, and you guys have been the most responsive and helpful, so I'm willing to offer 3 seats to the roadfood community. I can tell you more details in private message, but I want to make sure you are interested. Just let me know :)

but I want to make sure you are interested
 
I could say that's silly but I won't.
The reason we're all here is because we're interested.
Interested in everything, we may not use it but if we didn't check out every scrap we may miss something good.

Many fast food places put info on your reciept to go on-line and fill out a survey and then you're entered in a drawing. I do it just to get in the drawing. Jack in the Box's is the best one - $10 K

Ice Cream Man
The reason we're all here is because we're interested. Interested in everything, we may not use it but if we didn't check out every scrap we may miss something good.

 
Right on Target!

Dr of BBQ

Ice Cream Man
The reason we're all here is because we're interested. Interested in everything, we may not use it but if we didn't check out every scrap we may miss something good.

Right on Target!

That's a great attitude! I'm at the right place then :) Please let me know if anybody else is interested. I will put you on our wait list and you will have priority access once we can accomodate more early testers.

Ice Cream Man


but I want to make sure you are interested

I could say that's silly but I won't.
The reason we're all here is because we're interested.
Interested in everything, we may not use it but if we didn't check out every scrap we may miss something good.

 
It looks like I cannot private message you within 15 days of registration. Can you please email me at hi[at] survly[dot]com and I will disclose more details there.

I see the title and think:  'serve bad food and you will get feed back'    ... but it is repeat satisfied customers that you need to track.

Bei

Ice Cream Man


but I want to make sure you are interested

I could say that's silly but I won't.
The reason we're all here is because we're interested.
Interested in everything, we may not use it but if we didn't check out every scrap we may miss something good.

It looks like I cannot private message you within 15 days of registration. Can you please email me at hi[at] survly[dot]com and I will disclose more details there.

No. You can wait and so can I.

edwmax


I see the title and think:  'serve bad food and you will get feed back'    ... but it is repeat satisfied customers that you need to track.

Agreed. Repeat customers know what to expect so if there's anything off one day they are informed enough to tell you. But the question is what's the best way for them to tell you? Some people have no problem talking to you in person, some people cannot reach you, some people do not have the time to call or email you, and some people just don't want to tell it to your face. My idea is aimed to solve the latter three problems.

Foodbme


Many fast food places put info on your reciept to go on-line and fill out a survey and then you're entered in a drawing. I do it just to get in the drawing. Jack in the Box's is the best one - $10 K

I don't even do those, I guess if you don't play you don't win but I get so pissed off if I don't win so I don't enter. I guess that's a personality fault but in business it works fine.
The other reason I don't do surveys, I have yet to see someone change because of a survey. Case in point, last year we stayed in a Comfort Inn in Covington Ohio Ft. something, I have never seen anything as disgusting in my life and I'm 64. So I went online, there are at least 2 years of complaint about this place, I was figuring if I told Comfort Inn they would come the next day and yank the sign down. But alas two years of surveys did nothing, big surprise. I could tell you about the Ford survey I did years ago I thought I would at least get a reply, today the same survey answers would probably bring the cops to my door. There hasn't been a Ford in my driveway for 25 years.
 

Ice Cream Man

Foodbme


Many fast food places put info on your reciept to go on-line and fill out a survey and then you're entered in a drawing. I do it just to get in the drawing. Jack in the Box's is the best one - $10 K

I don't even do those, I guess if you don't play you don't win but I get so pissed off if I don't win so I don't enter. I guess that's a personality fault but in business it works fine.
The other reason I don't do surveys, I have yet to see someone change because of a survey. Case in point, last year we stayed in a Comfort Inn in Covington Ohio Ft. something, I have never seen anything as disgusting in my life and I'm 64. So I went online, there are at least 2 years of complaint about this place, I was figuring if I told Comfort Inn they would come the next day and yank the sign down. But alas two years of surveys did nothing, big surprise. I could tell you about the Ford survey I did years ago I thought I would at least get a reply, today the same survey answers would probably bring the cops to my door. There hasn't been a Ford in my driveway for 25 years.

Ice Cream Man, I share the same sentiments regarding traditional customer feedback surveys. I have the feeling that it would just be a waste of my time since it's not even recognized or acknowledged by the recipient. The funny thing is most people are opinionated and like to voice their feeling (isn't that why Facebook is so big?), but ineffective surveys and methods are turning people away from doing so in a business setting. I want to fix that. 
 
I just tested a very basic version of my software at a friend's restaurant, and yesterday he found out one of his booths was rocky (if a person in the next booth fidgets, this particular booth moves with it. It irritated the customer who left the feedback). My friend got in touch with the person who left the feedback and assured her that it's fixed. Another example is when my friend was not at the restaurant, he saw a negative feedback left by a customer. My friend checked the time stamp and found out who was the manager on shift and asked about the particular incident (there was some confusion with the menu). He reached out to the disgruntled customer and explained everything. I don't know if he's heard back from that customer yet, but it's just another example of the right tool being used by the right person that took meaningful action. Even in the limited scope, I already see my idea working so I want to test it out in different places with different demographics. I'm still waiting for that email, Ice Cream Man :)

You'll be waiting until you can PM me, it's not that many days.

But just think, if I like it you can attach this thread to it and say look if I can convince him it must be good.