Ask Jill! How employee feedback surveys fuel customer experience excellence
If we ask our employees open-ended, probing questions and are willing to have an open mind to not only ‘hear’ what they have to say but really ‘listen’ to their feedback — with zero ego attached — it is priceless data, while costing you pennies on the dollar.
Those we hire to be the forward-facing representatives of our brand are the most valuable assets any restaurant, or any business, could ever have. They are the ones engaging with your end customers, the ones who hear what the customers want and what they don’t want, the ones who hear the positive and negative feedback, the ones who are your most significant source of information to your end customer paying for your services and products. They will largely be the main influence of whether your customers become loyal repeat customers (and your unpaid marketers sending you referrals online or amongst friends), or whether they spread their negative experiences and impressions, causing you harm and cutting off immediate new income paths to grow your business.
Do you ask your employees for their thoughts and feedback? Their ideas? How often? One philosophy I live my life by is, “If we don’t ask, the answer will always be no. And if we don’t ask, we will never know. There is no harm in asking, only harm in staying content where it is comfortable in our status quo bubble.” When it comes to employee feedback, I suggest you ask and ask often! This is why I love this month’s question provided by David Drinan of Areté Capital Partners. David recognizes the critical importance of employee feedback, asking this probing question: What do your employee surveys say about what employees need to feel heard and empowered to provide great customer service?
David’s question targets key drivers as to why restaurant management must survey their staff, because it is not just about gathering data; it also reveals what the employee feels they need to be valued, supported, and equipped to deliver the great service and experience to the customers that is expected of them. I teach about “expectations management,” and this is a perfect example of that, where if we do not communicate our expectations, both verbally and in writing, at the onset of employee hiring and onboarding, we will always be disappointed in their performance. Who is to blame for that? Management, because no one can deliver expectations of which they are unaware. It is up to leadership to manage expectations. And then, of course, action and reinforcement put it all into motion in the EX to CX cycle.
There are multiple ways of feedback collection, including pre- and post-shift huddles where quick informal check-ins allow employees to voice their concerns in real time. (Note, while this method is crucial to develop rapport and trust, it does not document their input, so the long-term impact and tracking will be lacking.) Or perhaps manager walkthroughs and shadowing, where they observe workflows, helping leadership identify hidden inefficiencies. And of course, there are the always necessary suggestion boards and digital feedback tools utilizing tech-driven options that allow for timely feedback and perhaps the needed anonymity for blunt and honest opinions that must be heard and listened to. While all of these are important data collecting methods, surveys remain essential for systematically tracking how employees want to be heard and empowered, measuring sentiment shifts, behavioral changes, and their impact on costly employee and customer churn.
What employee surveys reveal about feeling heard and empowered
-
Employees want their value to be recognized: Feedback often highlights the need for more employee acknowledgement. Simple recognition programs have been shown to boost engagement by recognizing the value of your employee as a person who is instrumental in your success. An example would be acknowledging and celebrating a server who consistently describes your menu items in knowledgeable and mouth-watering detail, who upsells or remembers regular guests’ preferences. This recognition leads to motivation with a greater impact of reducing turnover and improving service consistency.
-
Employees need clear communication and a voice in decision making: Surveys often reveal frustration due to unclear expectations or a lack of involvement and input in decision making, in particular, on items that fall under their responsibilities. For example, front of house staff may feel blindsided by details of menu changes if they were not advised. Or perhaps a procedural change was made for which they had no input, though they are the ones living out those processes and could contribute vital information on the most efficient and productive methods for the best customer experience outcome. A solution could be pre-shift meetings and open forums where employees can voice concerns and contribute their ideas. Not only do FOH employees provide direct information from their interactions with customers, but also when you have a diverse employee workforce, you will be getting the wealth and depth of diverse perspectives as each brings their own unique set of insights and experiences with them to the job.
-
Employees crave personal and professional development and growth: Many surveys often discover a lack of growth opportunities as the main reason for disengagement. No one wants a dead-end job. If they are not made aware of opportunities for growth from within a company, it kills the desire to work hard and go above and beyond to achieve a purpose and call. Challenge is known to be a pivotal driver and motivation for growth. If they’re not given challenges to be better for themselves, for the team they are working within, and ultimately for the company, there is no incentive to stay in the same routine day in and day out. Boredom kills growth and feeds turnover! For example, maybe your line cook’s dreams of their next step of becoming a sous chef, but without cross-training or acknowledging this opportunity for them, they will see no path to this possibility. The result will be them leaving to look for that sous chef position at another restaurant that has clearly defined this option.
-
Employees seek the right tools, directives, and support to succeed in their jobs: When staff lack the training, support, and technology needed to meet both their own expectations and those of management, service quality suffers. Imagine a construction team working without blueprints, proper tools, or permits — the project would fail, and the architect’s vision would never be realized. Likewise, a cashier using an outdated POS system without key features would struggle to meet demands, leading to frustration for both employees and customers.
Closing the loop between EX and CX
It is impossible to separate EX, employee experience, from CX, customer experience. The EX must always come first as it will be your leading indicator of your CX. If your employees feel unappreciated, uninvested in, like a cog that just clocks in and out, they will soon feel dissatisfied, become disengaged and leave to search for a restaurant where those necessary elements and feelings of appreciation are met. Don’t be caught in the dark, left in the lurch wondering why your best people are leaving you. Learn what your employees want, need, crave, and seek via regular surveys that engage them; short and sweet, giving them the confidential security and opportunity to tell you openly and honestly what they feel. Employee surveys aren’t just about gathering data — they reveal what employees need to feel valued, supported, and equipped to deliver great service.
Learn what they desire and need to want to be a contributor to your establishment’s success and growth. The key is not just asking but actively using feedback to drive change. Focus on hearing (not just listening to) what they say and acting on the feedback. Once you create the roadmap based on hitting the landmarks they suggested, you will see stronger engagement, better service, and higher retention. Employees are the frontline connection to customers. Their feedback is a direct line to improving CX. The value of employee insights is truly priceless. Don’t ignore and squander this natural internal gold mine of information!
Turn your employees into advocates and customer magnets. What flows from this is happier customers who become loyal and your best ambassadors to grow your customer base. Your customers, in turn, become your free marketing salesforce. So, what are you waiting for? Start surveying today! (If you want support around this, reach out to discuss: [email protected])
Please share this article on your LinkedIn page for all who will benefit. (Tag us @JILL RAFF, EX2CX® Advisor and @Nation’s Restaurant News). And don’t forget to email me at [email protected] to have your culture-related questions featured in the next Ask Jill! Develop Your Company Culture article.
AUTHOR BIO
Jill Raff is the globally recognized EX2CX Advisor, working with executive leaders who recognize the paradigm shift: the non-negotiable creation of a more humanized culture prioritizing their people. She helps organizations that recognize their people are their greatest asset but need help creating new systems and procedures to develop the culture resulting in higher retention and greater productivity. Companies experience employee and customer lifetime value using her methodology, connecting the employee experience (EX) to the customer experience (CX) — EX2CX.
Jill grew up working with her parents, owner/operators of McDonald’s franchises, starting with store No. 150. Her customer service philosophy of Transforming Transactions Into Interactions starting with the employee originated from observing her parent’s work and their interactions with legendary founder Ray Kroc. EX and CX is in Jill’s DNA. Based on her diverse background working in multiple industries — and living in 7 countries — Jill developed her Inside-Out Framework based on her “3+1 Recipe” to build a culture creating attraction and retention, often described as “where McDonald’s & Michelin meet.” Contact her at [email protected].
link
