If you are a restaurateur or the marketing manager of a restaurant chain , you are also aware of how important it is to know what your customers think about at least the following areas:
Menu : appreciation of the types of dishes, dishes desired but not present, feedback on the type of layout and printing, general feeling.
Service and environment : emotions aroused by the environment, expectations, perceived type of restaurant, type of suitable clientele.
Prices : perception of price, relationship between dishes and their cost, parts of the menu with the best or worst quality/price ratio
The sources usually used
The following sources are commonly used to obtain customer feedback, but each has objective limitations:
Trip Advisor : beyond the verifiability of reviews, there is a well-known mechanism by which most dissatisfied customers do not express their disappointment, and simply do not return and speak badly of the place/chain.
Waiters : waiters have a privileged contact with the customers of the place, however, being subjected to both the pressure of the employer and the customer (and these two often push in different directions), it is difficult for them to codify and generalize the needs of the customers. This is because waiters are absorbed by a thousand "daily emergencies"
Social Reviews : People often review a place more for the "social proof" mechanism (e.g. "I've been there too) rather than to express their own opinion. Furthermore, social reviews tend to be superficial and instinctive.
Direct feedback : finally there is also the (good) practice of the person at the cash register (usually the owner or manager) to ask how the dinner went. Also in this case, as with TripAdvisor, it is rare that the customer expresses ideas, suggestions and opinions that can be used for marketing purposes.
Why Dinner Focus Groups Were Born
Over the years, we have realized that the best way to obtain reliable feedback is to conduct focus groups with a mix of customers and non-customers , moderated by an expert researcher, within the active context of the restaurant.
Living the experience directly and being able to understand it in a guided path helps the customer to relax and express their opinion sincerely and without fear.
We have tested this search mode on several occasions, and it has proven useful for:
Understand whether the people around the restaurant know it and what type of clientele they think it is best suited to
Understanding which restaurant category you fall into
Understanding whether customers understand the menu , whether it fully conveys the value of the cuisine , and which dishes would increase the frequency of visits
Get feedback on possible restaurant developments before implementing them
How to Set Up a Dinner Focus Group
To organize a dinner focus group, you first need to find types of "target" customers, that is, those similar to those you would like in your restaurant, in addition to a portion of participants who are already customers.
In total, it is recommended to organize two dinners , for 8-10 people each , lasting approximately two hours, during which the moderator guides the participants in a pleasant exploration of the restaurant's offerings.
The customer should not feel "under examination", but rather part of a "reward" moment (of which the dinner itself is a part) and of a special evening in which to express themselves and have fun.
In the video above you can find an example of a dinner organized in this way, which allowed us to identify:
the key concepts associated with the brand
the flaws and merits of the menu
indications for the evolution of the customer's marketing actions
If you want to better understand how to organize a dinner focus group, contact us without obligation by writing to info@hangler.it or enjoy your meal! :-)
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