Do you remember when restaurants asked for customer feedback using customer comment cards presented with the bill or displayed at the table? Whatever happened to those? I’ve often wondered if they slowly disappeared because the feedback given wasn’t useful, or if restaurant owners simply stopped caring what customers thought.

I have always believed that a well-designed customer comment card, using questions that will give you the answers that can truly help your business, is invaluable to growing your pizzeria and keeping customers coming back.

There’s a lot of groaning in the restaurant industry when it comes to online restaurant review sites, but what is being done in-house to collect the opinions of your customers before they leave your establishment? Many people are timid about saying they are unhappy when asked by a server, but will openly give an opinion on a comment card (or website).

Creating a comment card is easy, and there are plenty of examples online, like the one here. The best one will include questions about service, food quality, customer menu suggestions, and any other insights you want to collect from patrons. Imagine if one of your customers is sitting on the next big money-making menu idea for your pizzeria and all you have to do is provide a forum for them to share their vision?

Hesitant about bringing back the “old school” paper comment cards? Ask your Web designer about giving customers the ability to post reviews on your own website. Display a QR code at the table and encourage customers to share their comments and suggestions. With everything readily accessible on your own site, you can respond to concerns and praise from customers immediately.