Handling negative feedback can be a volatile situation if your employees are not careful. At the same time, there is a certain way to approach customers whom you would like to get feedback. Just like multinationals have their SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) food trucks should also have a manual on how to handle customers and all kinds of feedback.
The advantages of soliciting feedback does not just include getting the insights of customers on how they like or don’t your food. It’s an aggressive way to put customers off guard. Studies show that great service can often compensate for mistakes made in cooking or lack of ingredients. For example, if your food truck runs out of onions for your sandwiches, getting your employees to suggest alternatives and putting on a show that they care about the people they are serving can turn a potential negative feedback into something less devastating. It will also leave the door open for another visit and possibly lead to a new loyal customer.
How To Ask For Feedback
When designing your customer feedback guide, think about the employees who face the customers. Can they do what you want them to do? Are they approachable, friendly, presentable, and neat? Depending on what your answer is, choose the right approach from the following list:
- Have cue cards prepared for your employees to read
- Use social media and get people to send in comments on a Twitter account
- Have the standard survey form/comment cards available for those who would like to rate the service and food
- Have an onsite web camera where you can monitor what your customers really say
- Be around at peak times so you can talk to your customer face-to-face
What To Do With Feedback
Use feedback to improve your business. The best ways to do this are:
- By answering tweets on Twiiter or posts on Facebook
- Getting to know your customers by name and letting them know you appreciate the time they took to send in some feedback and what you plan to do about it
- Giving every comment some consideration. Not all of them will make sense or be right but over time, you will see a trend and then you should act on it
Finally, if you plan on responding to feedback, do it within 2 days or 48 hours. Your response should always be mature (not petty), thankful, and sincere.