Over the past two years, restaurants have changed to reflect our increased reliance on digital ordering, takeout, delivery, and other conveniences that consumers have come to expect.

Now it’s time to connect with your guests to figure out what 2022 and beyond will look like — only by listening to customer feedback can restaurants navigate the “new normal.” Here are five strategies for engaging with customers.

Direct Interaction

There is no better way to understand what your customers are thinking than to interact with them personally. A great place to start is with familiar returning customers. Strike up a conversation and ask them about their experience with your restaurant. Ask them what they’re looking for from a restaurant right now and about their experiences with other places to get a sense of what things are like elsewhere.

After your conversation, take notes on areas where you can make improvements. And train staff to talk to customers as well. You can learn a lot of valuable information just by asking and listening with an open mind.

Social Media

Social media is a good resource for gathering information quickly. You can solicit feedback in the comments of a post, or you can use a question sticker in IG Stories. Focus on one question at a time so that you can compare multiple responses.

Your hours of operation may be a good subject for this type of survey. With so many restaurants experiencing staffing shortages right now, operators are looking at scaling back hours, but doing so is complicated. Would it be better to be open more days and fewer hours or vice versa? Polling your followers on social media can give you a better understanding of your customers’ priorities.

Surveys

Surveys are useful when you are interested in gathering more information at one time, but it can be more challenging to get feedback because it requires more time from the guest. You may have some luck with physical surveys (like comment cards) in your dining room, but another option is to create a Google Survey, share it via social media, and email with an incentive for guests to complete and return the survey.

This could be a blanket discount for anyone who submits a survey or a chance to win a prize. Think about a prize that will have a high enough value to be interesting to customers and remember what you’re getting in exchange — invaluable knowledge that can help you improve your business.

Guest Feedback Analysis

Thanks to sites like Yelp and FourSquare, you have access to customer feedback on an ongoing basis. Stay up-to-date on what customers are saying about your restaurant online and look for common threads. Is there a recurring complaint that it takes too long for a guest to receive their order? That tells you that there are bottlenecks in the system that need to be addressed.

Loyalty Program Analysis

If you have a loyalty program in place, you have the opportunity to engage directly with this group of customers. And because they’re already loyal customers, they have valuable insights about their experience that you can use to attract and retain new customers. Take a look at the tools your loyalty program provides for engaging with customers and use them to the fullest.