Did you know that it costs three times more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing customer happy? Guest Comment Cards can help you keep customers.
Customers don't speak with their mouths, they speak with their feet. When they're unhappy, they simply don't come back. Why? Could be bad service, price increases, a change in portion size, dirty restrooms or chipped china. Most restaurant operators will never know.
Don't spend big bucks on mass mailers, newspaper ads, sports promotions, and weeknight specials to attract new customers. Focus on keeping the customers who already know and love you. And if something does go wrong (we all have those days), set up systems to intercept unhappy guests before they walk out the door.
A well-executed Guest Comment Card system gives you the vital information you need, shows that you care about your guests, and offers a simple, hassle-free way to give feedback—good or bad.
Be creative. Design a comment card system that people will want to complete. Include a section for rating food, service and setting. Another section should include a space for short answer, open-ended questions. The last section should ask for customer information. Here's where you can start building a valuable data base. We've provided a sample Guest Comment Card for you to download.
Encourage your customers to fill-in the card completely by giving incentives—a glass of wine or a complimentary dessert on the next visit. Birthday and anniversary "treats" are good incentives too.
You'll increase frequency of existing customers simply by asking these questions and offering a "thank-you" gift to be redeemed at a future date. And equally important, if something goes wrong, you have the chance to make it right—right away. Don't let that customer walk out the door for good.
See Also:
You can learn a lot just by asking
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.