Guide
Restaurant feedback questions: what to ask guests with a QR code
A good restaurant survey should not feel like an interview after dinner. The guest may be paying, leaving, picking up an order or opening a delivery bag. Ask one clear question, one useful reason and an optional comment. That is enough for a team to learn something and still respectful of the moment.
Start with the decision, not the form
Before writing questions, ask what the team will change if the answer is poor. If the answer is vague, the question is not ready.
“How was everything?” sounds friendly, but it hides the useful detail. A guest may be reacting to speed, food temperature, order accuracy, cleanliness, atmosphere or price. A better flow is one score, one reason and one optional comment.
- How satisfied were you with today’s visit?
- What had the biggest effect on your score?
- Would you like to add a comment?
Keep the first restaurant survey short
For a first QR survey, resist the urge to ask everything. A form that takes 20 to 30 seconds is more likely to be completed while the guest still remembers the experience.
Use CSAT for a specific visit, pickup or delivery. Add contact details only when the team can actually follow up, and keep follow-up consent separate from the contact field.
- One satisfaction score
- One reason list: service, speed, food, accuracy, cleanliness, atmosphere or price
- One optional comment
- Optional contact and separate follow-up consent
Ask dine-in guests after the meal
A menu QR is usually scanned before the experience, so it is a weak place to ask for feedback. Put the feedback QR after the meal: on the receipt, bill folder, payment card or a small table card that does not compete with the menu.
Choose questions tied to the part of the visit you can improve. If speed is the issue, ask about speed. If the team is training service, ask about service.
- How satisfied were you with today’s visit?
- How would you rate the speed of service?
- Was the order served as expected?
- What should we improve next?
- Would you visit us again?
Separate dine-in, pickup and delivery feedback
Pickup customers judge a different journey: wait time, handoff, accuracy and whether the pickup point was clear. Delivery customers judge condition, temperature, packaging and completeness.
Do not mix all of those responses into one anonymous total. Create one campaign if the form is shared, but give dine-in, pickup and delivery their own QR placements so the results stay readable.
- Was your pickup order ready on time?
- Was everything in the order correct?
- Did the delivery arrive in good condition?
- Was the food warm enough?
- What would make pickup or delivery easier next time?
Use even shorter questions in bars, cafes and bistros
A guest at a counter may be standing, carrying a drink or talking to someone. Make the answer possible in one tap, then leave the comment optional.
Short choices work well: drink, speed, service, atmosphere, cleanliness, price or other. The goal is not to collect an essay; it is to notice a pattern while the shift is still fresh.
- How was today’s drink?
- Were you served quickly?
- Was ordering easy?
- What should we improve?
- Would you come back?
Write the QR invitation in natural language
“Scan me” explains the action but not the reason. Say what the guest gets to do and how long it takes.
Avoid wording that asks only happy guests to respond or pushes for five stars. A fair feedback programme sounds neutral even when it later offers a public review link.
- Rate today’s visit in 20 seconds
- How did your order go?
- Help us improve the next visit
- Tell us what worked and what to fix
Use these 25 questions as a library, not a single form
Pick one score question, one reason and one optional comment. Asking all 25 questions would turn a helpful QR prompt into homework.
Useful question libraries cover five areas: overall satisfaction, service, food and drinks, pickup or delivery, and the space itself.
- Overall: satisfaction, expectations, return intent, recommendation
- Service: speed, attention, ordering ease, help received
- Food: taste, temperature, menu accuracy, memorable items
- Pickup and delivery: timing, accuracy, packaging, condition
- Space: comfort, cleanliness, atmosphere and menu clarity
Decide how the team responds to low scores
A low score is not a failed campaign. It is the point where feedback becomes useful. Decide the threshold, owner and response process before launch.
If the guest leaves contact details and consents to follow-up, the team can respond directly. If the answer is anonymous, the placement, time, score and reason still show where to look.
- Set the low-score threshold
- Choose who receives alerts
- Assign an owner in the inbox
- Track the response through resolution
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many questions should a restaurant QR survey have?
Start with two or three: one score, one reason and an optional comment. Add a question only when somebody owns the decision it supports.
Where should you place the feedback QR code?
Place it after the experience: on a receipt, bill folder, pickup counter, delivery insert or package. A menu QR is usually too early for feedback.
Should dine-in, pickup and delivery use the same QR code?
Use separate QR placements so you can tell which moment created the response. They can still share one campaign and form.
Is it acceptable to invite only satisfied guests to leave a public review?
No. That can become review gating. Keep review invitations neutral and do not hide the public option according to a private score.
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