A look into the restaurant industry

By analyzing 284 positive customer reviews of in-person (non-delivery) restaurant and tavern experiences, BBB researchers shed some light on what customers like when they go out to eat.

As shown in the graph above, 42% of positive traits mentioned in the reviews pertained to the food: taste, flavor, temperature, freshness, portion size, etc. It's no surprise that the central product, food, is the #1 trait praised. 

But it's also interesting how important service is.

40% of positive traits pertained to the staff: 23% to service and 17% to friendliness. This suggests that the people serving the food are as important as the food itself. Today, consumers can order delicious food from grocery stores and specialty shops and have it delivered to their homes, so a restaurant experience has to bring more to the table than just food. Customers are interested in the social experience and want restaurant servers to be reliable, polite, fast, attentive, and friendly.

Ambience and price were relatively minor factors, mentioned in 12% and 6% of traits praised, respectively.

Here are a few comments from the reviews that illustrate some of these points:

• This is my go to place when I want to treat myself to some awesome ribs and cherry cobbler. The entire crew is so personable and I just can't say enough about how pleasant they make my visits.

• I've been going here for years and I really love their Mongolian beef! I always get good service from them and great food! It's always piping hot when I get it and this is my favorite restaurant!

• Great customer service! Our server, Ryan, was awesome!! Bacon cheddar burger and onion rings were delicious!!

Positive reviews about restaurants use emotional words like "love" (as in "I love their burgers") more than many other industries. We found that 21% of sentences in positive restaurant narratives contained an emotional word, suggesting that a positive restaurant experience involves an emotional connection. This is very different from a transactional trait like price, quality, quantity, or time. The lesson learned is that restaurants should strive to create positive emotional experiences for their customers through their service and food.

In contrast to what we saw with positive reviews on restaurants, only 14% of issues in negative reviews cited pertained to poor food quality. These include issues like: being undercooked or overcooked, tasting badly, small portions, causing food sickness, etc. This suggests that great food may win fans, but mediocre food alone usually isn't enough to make detractors

What does detract from a good experience? Bad service and rudeness.

As shown in the graph above, 59% of negative traits mentioned in the reviews pertained to either bad service (32%), including slow service, wrong orders, and incomplete orders, or rudness (27%), including discrimination and harrassment.

This pattern implies that interpersonal interactions in restaurants make or break the experience for customers. When they are forced to wait a long time and/or are treated discourteously, they write negative reviews. Many of these negative reviews use very harsh language, and many of the reviewers say they will never return to those establishments.

Money-related concerns, such as overcharging or failing to provide refunds, are cited in only 14% of negative reviews, and cleanliness in only seven percent. This data suggests that customers can forgive being overcharged or not receiving a refund and can enjoy a restaurant that is less than sparkling clean, but when offended or mistreated by restaurant staff, consumers become the most unhappy. 

Here are a few comments from the reviews that illustrate some of these points:

• I asked for extra ranch and the manager... threw it on the counter and said "I guess even though there are already 5 in there..." and gave me a bunch of attitude... Worst customer experience ever and will never return.

• For years I've frequented this establishment and raved about the quality of food. However my experience today left me no longer wanting to be a customer ever again. I placed an order… for pickup by a certain time. I get to the restaurant and… the manager told the cashier, "he is going to have to wait while I make that order, it ain't nothing I can do about it, he gonna gave to wait". This display of rude and unprofessional behavior came from a store manager and the owner had nothing to say other than "what do you want me to do about it sir."

• If I could give no stars I would. The staff at this location is unbelievably rude. I made an online order which they lost and when I asked that they fill the order while I was at the drive through… they said there was no chicken and I would have to wait 12 minutes. I said just forget it, and as I left I heard the staff cheering. I will never go to any [redacted] anywhere again.