I only have one problem with their service cycle and that's on the evaluation end.
They could be letting cash out the door.
Every time I eat there, the server points out a section on the receipt, offering me free cheese perogies (or any appetizer), if I go to their website and fill out a survey on their website for a chance to win.
So, then, why aren't we, as a family (there are four of us going each time) filling out the survey online?
Is because we don't like their food, heck no. We love it!
We don't fill out the survey for tons of reasons, here's just three of them:
1. We are busy, sometimes we misplace the receipt.
2. We get distracted, by the time we get home, we forget.
3. It is time consuming, requiring concentration and a certain
amount of work, to complete the questionnaire at home.
Do people really fill those things out? Someone tell me. I guess there are people that do, but then there are people like me!
While Swiss Chalet, as a corporation recognizes that evaluating customer service is an important part of improving service and evaluating a particular server, for that, my hat's off to them, but they are missing an opportunity to get feedback from their most important customer!
The busy, distracted customer is probably the customer that eats out most often!
I have been going to Swiss Chalet for loyally for years and they are missing the opportunity to find out what might make me eat out more often!
It is well documented in a variety of business cases, that it is much easier to get more business from an existing customer than it is to get a new customer. If Swiss Chalet wants to increase their revenue from the thousands (if not millions) of people that don't fill out those online forms; they are going to have to get creative on the evaluation side! Swiss Chalet, please do something creative, all together different, on the evaluation side, for customers like ME. Give me more than one option to evaluate your service.
I think it be great if Swiss Chalet encouraged their servers to identify five regular customers, once a month (or quarter) and invited them in for a free meal during off hours for a focus group lead by the franchise owner?
Besides acknowledging and rewarding regular customers and getting feedback -- it would help build relationships with the owner and other staff!
Think of the photo opportunities that would bring.
Know your customer, know what they think.
It's your customer, your cash, at stake.
