Listening to your Customers

When you own or would like to put up a restaurant, you have an idea of how you want it look, what food to serve, color scheme and those things. By all means, you have the right to follow your heart because you are the owner.

Right or wrong?

I would say it depends on what the owner wants. If what the owner wants, is what future customers would like, that's the direction to follow. It is what your customer likes.

But what if what the owner likes is not what the customer wants? I would still say it is what your customer likes. Then the owner would say, "But it's how I like it!". Hmmm... maybe the owner has a lot of money and doesn't care whether the business profits or not. Or the restaurant is just an outlet for the realization of a dream. In those cases, then que sera sera.

If you mean for your restaurant to make money for you, then listening to your customers is your only choice. It is a business not a hobby or therapy.

This is the problem when some restaurant owner wants their business to turnaround from a slump but refuse to do what might click with their customers. Most of the time, it involves a major change of heart. What they have in mind did not work so what evidence are they still looking for?

As has been advised by a million business consultants, a survey or a market research will greatly help a business owner. Unfortunately, some self-avowed restaurateur just put it up and start on some concept, buy things and later on, see their money down the drain.

If you are yet to put up a restaurant, please spare a meager amount of your capital for research or a simple survey of the immediate 5 kilometer radius of your proposed location about the restaurant.

If you have a restaurant already and want to improve your profit, a guest comment card or satisfaction survey would be great. Assigning a staff to go around tables and ask how the guests find the food or their visit will unveil a wealth of information. Add to that, that these activities would not cost you a lot of money. Sometimes, guests will volunteer the information. Take note of that. Better yet, make a system to log these comments. Assign a logbook or notebook or a form which can be filled out either by your staff or the guests for their comments. It is noteworthy, of course, to say that comments should be filtered and reviewed.

When a guest sees that her or his comment was actually implemented, he or she would feel special or complimented. Example, if you modified the volume of the music after complaining that it's too loud or a dish she likes that has been added to the menu. Guests feel better in a restaurant that listens to what they say.