What are the most effective ways to follow up with banquet guests and encourage repeat business?

Banquet feedback surveys are a valuable tool to measure customer satisfaction, identify areas of improvement, and generate repeat business. However, not all surveys are created equal, and you need to follow some best practices to make the most of them. In this article, we will share some tips on how to design, distribute, and analyze banquet feedback surveys in the context of banquet operations.

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1 Choose the right questions

The first step to create a effective survey is to choose the right questions to ask your banquet guests. You want to balance between asking enough questions to get useful feedback, and not asking too many questions to overwhelm or annoy your guests. A good rule of thumb is to limit your survey to 10-15 questions, and focus on the key aspects of your banquet service, such as food quality, staff professionalism, venue ambiance, and overall satisfaction. You can also include some open-ended questions to allow your guests to share their comments and suggestions.

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Joan Hutchinson

Restaurant Business Advisor & Coach, Professional Speaker, Blogger, Team Builder Extraordinaire & Positivity Promoter
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Consider what it is you want to learn from the survey and design your questions around that. If you have employees you are evaluating, include questions about service, if it is food... etc.

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2 Use the right channels

The next step is to decide how to distribute your survey to your banquet guests. You have several options, such as email, SMS, web, or paper. The best channel depends on your target audience, your budget, and your response rate goals. For example, email surveys are cost-effective and easy to track, but they may end up in spam folders or be ignored by busy guests. SMS surveys are convenient and have high open rates, but they may incur additional charges or be seen as intrusive. Web surveys are flexible and interactive, but they require your guests to visit a specific URL. Paper surveys are traditional and simple, but they may have low return rates or be lost or damaged.

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Joan Hutchinson

Restaurant Business Advisor & Coach, Professional Speaker, Blogger, Team Builder Extraordinaire & Positivity Promoter
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Consider your audience when choosing how to distribute. These days, on-line surveys are easiest to respond to - but I like to send a hand-written thank-you. So, why not include a survey with a self addressed, stamped return envelope?

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3 Analyze the results

The final step is to analyze the results of your survey and use them to improve your banquet operations. You can use various tools and methods to collect, organize, and interpret your survey data, such as spreadsheets, charts, graphs, or software. The main goal is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your banquet service, and the areas that need more attention or improvement. You can also use the results to segment your guests based on their preferences, satisfaction levels, or feedback themes, and tailor your marketing and communication strategies accordingly.

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4 Follow up with your guests

One of the most important but often overlooked aspects of banquet feedback surveys is to follow up with your guests after they complete the survey. This shows that you value their opinions and care about their experience. You can use various ways to follow up with your guests, such as sending a thank you note, offering a discount or incentive, inviting them to join a loyalty program, or asking them for referrals or testimonials. By following up with your guests, you can increase your customer retention, loyalty, and advocacy, and encourage repeat business.

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Joan Hutchinson

Restaurant Business Advisor & Coach, Professional Speaker, Blogger, Team Builder Extraordinaire & Positivity Promoter
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In my experience, a hand written thank-you with a gift certificate and survey is an excellent way to retain your customers. I always ask for referrals at the bottom of the survey. Sometimes, the customer gives that certificate to family members or friends, which is another way to grow your customer base. Another great thing to do is to send one year anniversary cards to brides and grooms.

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5 Test and optimize your survey

Banquet feedback surveys are not a one-time activity, but a continuous process of improvement. You should always test and optimize your survey to ensure that it is relevant, reliable, and effective. You can use various techniques to test and optimize your survey, such as A/B testing, pilot testing, feedback loops, or data analysis. By testing and optimizing your survey, you can increase your response rates, reduce your survey errors, and enhance your survey quality.

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6 Learn from the best

One of the best ways to improve your banquet feedback surveys is to learn from the best practices and examples of other banquet operators. You can research and benchmark how other banquet operators design, distribute, and analyze their surveys, and what kind of results they achieve. You can also look for industry standards, guidelines, or best practices for banquet feedback surveys, and apply them to your own survey. By learning from the best, you can avoid common pitfalls, discover new ideas, and adopt proven strategies for your banquet feedback surveys.

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What are the most effective ways to follow up with banquet guests and encourage repeat business?

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1 Choose the right questions

2 Use the right channels

3 Analyze the results

4 Follow up with your guests

5 Test and optimize your survey

6 Learn from the best

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