From Two to Five Stars: How Real-Time Reviews Transformed These Restaurants

TLDR

As a restaurateur, you live and die by customer reviews. Losing a single star from your ratings can result in empty tables and counters for days. However, real-time reviews on your business’s mobile app provide an opportunity to turn customer feedback into five-star service before a diner even grabs their coat to leave. Per Diem’s newly launched rating and review feature allows you to monitor reviews and address concerns as they arise ensuring customer satisfaction from the first click to the last bite.

The Power of Real-Time Customer Feedback for Restaurants

Real-time customer feedback provides restaurants valuable insights into the customer experience. By monitoring ratings and reviews in your online ordering app, you gain access to:

• Fresh and accurate customer perceptions. Real-time feedback captures impressions when the experience is still top of mind for customers. This results in reviews and ratings that precisely reflect the customer’s recent visit.
• Higher response rates. Customers are more inclined to leave feedback when prompted shortly after their purchase. Real-time requests can achieve response rates of over 30% compared to less than 5% for email surveys sent days later.
• Strengthened customer trust. Demonstrating that you value customer feedback by soliciting real-time reviews helps build rapport and loyalty. Customers appreciate that you want to understand their needs and are working to improve.
• Strategic insights. Tracking how ratings and reviews change over time provides key metrics to guide business decisions. You can pinpoint what’s working, address issues promptly, and continuously enhance the customer experience.

Real-time customer feedback is a powerful tool for cultivating a devoted customer base and propelling your business to the next level. By embracing open communication and truly listening to your customers, you transform their experience and build a brand that people want to support again and again. Continuous improvement based on real-time reviews will take your restaurant from good to great.

How These Restaurants Used App Ratings to Enhance Customer Satisfaction

To thrive in today’s competitive restaurant industry, you must provide an exceptional customer experience. Offering mobile apps with real-time ratings and reviews is one way to better understand your customers and enhance their satisfaction.

Chick-fil-A: Ranked No. 1 for Customer Satisfaction

Chick-fil-A’s mobile app allows customers to rate their experience and provide feedback after each visit. By consistently monitoring these app ratings and reviews, Chick-fil-A gained valuable insights into their customers’ needs and preferences. They were then able to make operational changes to improve the overall customer experience. These efforts clearly paid off, with Chick-fil-A ranked first in customer satisfaction in the fast food industry.

Fast Food Restaurants: 83% App Quality Score

On average, fast food restaurants that offer real-time mobile app ratings received an 83% app quality score, indicating that these ratings and reviews likely played a role in boosting customer satisfaction. Customers appreciate being heard and knowing their feedback leads to positive change. Monitoring app ratings helps fast food restaurants make strategic improvements to better meet customer needs.

Full-Service Restaurants: An 8% Drop in App Quality Score

In contrast, full-service restaurants saw an 8% drop in their app quality score, suggesting their app ratings and reviews may have negatively impacted customer satisfaction. Some possible reasons for the decline include failure to consistently monitor feedback, make meaningful operational changes, or communicate improvements to customers. Real-time app ratings are most effective when used to actively enhance the customer experience in a transparent manner.

By listening to their customers through mobile app ratings and reviews, restaurants can gain valuable insights to transform a mediocre experience into an exceptional one. When ratings are monitored and feedback incorporated strategically, customer satisfaction soars. The key is using these real-time reviews to start a conversation, better understand your customers, and make ongoing improvements to exceed their expectations.

Responding to Negative Reviews and Optimizing Operations

Responding to negative reviews in a thoughtful, constructive manner is key to optimizing your operations and improving customer satisfaction. Addressing specific concerns mentioned in reviews and replying to customers by name demonstrates your willingness to resolve issues and provide the best experience possible.

When you receive a negative review, respond as quickly as possible, ideally within 24 hours. The initial response is the most critical, as it shows potential customers your level of commitment to customer service. Apologize for the poor experience and thank the customer for taking the time to provide feedback. Briefly reiterate the issues mentioned to confirm you understand their concerns fully. Explain how you will address these problems to prevent similar experiences for future customers and invite the reviewer to contact you directly to discuss further.

For example, if a customer complains about receiving cold coffee or slow service, you may reply:

Dear [Customer Name],

We sincerely apologize for the poor experience you had at our shop. Thank you for bringing this to our attention so we can improve. Receiving cold or poorly made beverages and experiencing slow service are unacceptable. We will retrain our baristas and evaluate ways to expedite the ordering process. Please contact us at your earliest convenience so we can make this right and earn back your business.

Ensuring high food quality and efficient service are our top priorities. Your feedback helps us better achieve these goals. We hope you will give us another opportunity to serve you.

Regards,

[Your Name]

Owner, [Coffee Shop Name]

Continually monitoring reviews and optimizing based on customer feedback will help transform your business into a five-star experience. Providing the best product and service should be an ongoing process of listening, learning, and improving. Valuing your customers’ experiences demonstrates your commitment to excellence.

Encouraging Positive Reviews to Improve Your Restaurant's Reputation

To build a loyal customer base and improve your restaurant’s reputation, encouraging positive reviews is key. By prompting customers to leave reviews and ratings about their experience, you gain valuable insights into their satisfaction and can amplify positive sentiment about your brand

Feedback at the Right Time

The optimal time to ask for a review is soon after a customer has had an enjoyable experience at your restaurant. Per Diem app prompts customers for their thoughts immediately after they've used the app or placed an order. This ensures that the experience is still fresh in their minds. No need for post-meal emails; you can have them exactly when it matters most. 

Showcase Reviews Prominently

Feature positive reviews on your restaurant’s website, social media profiles, and in your mobile app. This helps to build trust in potential customers by highlighting praise from current patrons. You might create a “Reviews” or “What Our Customers Say” page on your site that spotlights the best reviews or routinely share favorite reviews on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Respond and Take Action

Reply to both positive and negative reviews promptly and professionally. For positive reviews, thank the customer for their kind words and loyalty. For negative reviews, apologize that their experience did not meet expectations and ask follow-up questions to better understand their concerns. Use the feedback to make improvements to your restaurant's service, food quality, ambiance, or other factors within your control. Addressing reviews, whether good or bad, fosters engagement with your customers and a reputation for valuing their input.

Using Customer Feedback Analysis to Continuously Improve the Dining Experience

Customer feedback provides invaluable insights into your guests’ experiences. By collecting and analyzing reviews and ratings, restaurants can gain actionable insights to continuously enhance service and make strategic improvements.

Collect Reviews Through Your Mobile App

Partnering with Per Diem or any similar service allows you to easily collect customers’ feedback. Customers are prompted to leave a rating and review immediately after placing an order or dining in. This real-time feedback gives you an accurate window into their experience.

Monitor Your Reviews and Look for Trends

Checking your reviews regularly helps you stay on top of customer experiences and address any issues quickly. Look for trends, like long wait times, incorrect orders, or rude staff. Track your average rating over time to see if you’re improving in the eyes of your customers. Make it a habit to read both positive and negative reviews to get a balanced sense of how you’re performing.

Respond and Take Action

Reply to reviews whenever possible, especially negative ones. Thank customers for their feedback and apologize for any problems. Let them know you take their comments seriously and have addressed the issues. Work with your staff to make meaningful changes, then monitor to see if subsequent reviews reflect the improvements. Something as simple as retraining staff or updating your menu can make a big difference.

Final Thoughts

With the rapid growth of online ordering and delivery, customer experience has become increasingly important for restaurants. By implementing a real-time ratings and reviews feature, you now have valuable insights into your customers’ experiences the moment they happen. You can address issues immediately, improve operations strategically, and build better relationships with your loyal customers. The famous examples of Perk Coffee, Slice of Heaven Pizza, and Café Luna are just some among many others that show how listening to your customers and valuing their feedback can transform a business. Real-time reviews are more than a tool to gain stars - they are a chance to gain insight, build trust, and provide the best experience for your customers each and every time. Take this opportunity to connect with your customers and become the five-star business you aspire to be.

‍