The difference between feedback and criticism in your restaurant

The difference between feedback and criticism?in your restaurant

A Restaurant Owner’s Guide to Continued Success

By Alex Munford

After working my way from the very bottom of the Food & Beverage industry to leading my own teams and sites, I have learned more knowledge and skills than I know what to do with! I have therefore decided that now is the time to share some of these key experiences with others on the ascension, to offer insight from experience and hopefully guide some of you through the many different opportunities & challenges that come with running any successful Food & Beverage business.

Almost every day in the F&B industry you will find yourself facing the opinions and views of others.?

Whether these views are of yourself as a leader, your team or maybe the food & drinks you put out into the world, you will receive them in abundance.?

Perhaps it’s the layout of your dining room or the temperature? Sometimes the music, the location or your prices??

Everyday, somebody will attempt to pick your restaurant apart, commenting on every detail of their visit. As if their opinion is the absolutely last word on how to run your restaurant!

On a slight tangent, It’s worth noting that, generally speaking - the more ‘budget’ the restaurant, the more ‘budget’ the feedback you will face.?

So how can you navigate the day to day without wanting to drown yourself in liquor??

The simplest answer is - learn to recognise the difference between feedback and criticism.?

All feedback is useful. Feedback is considering the views and opinions of others. Feedback is anything that moves you in the direction of your goals, or away from your current position.

You might receive it from your team, your peers, your customers or maybe even competitors?

It’s all useful.?

Feedback is there to be evaluated and learned from. Sometimes it’s right, sometimes it's wrong. There’s great skill in knowing what to take on board and what to disregard.?

One of the rules I often bear in mind when receiving feedback is - is this person congruent with what they are saying? Are they in the position that I want to be in? If I carried out the action, would it move me closer to my goals? If not, then why listen??

So when does feedback become criticism?

Well, when you take it personally.

Afterall, the only difference between feedback and criticism is how you hear it.?

It is the result of allowing your ego to stand in the way of your progress.?

Even if the feedback is about you personally, it shouldn’t be treated as criticism. It can only be if you allow it to be.?

As owners and managers, surely the more feedback we receive the better!??

I want that information.?

If there is an area, any area of my venue or performance where I could improve and make progress, then sign me up!?

Tell me all of it.

It is so important not to allow your ego to get involved.?

When customers comment on your food, it’s not personal. It’s simply a statement of their preference. Their opinion. Which they are entitled to! When they comment on the prices, again, it’s not personal. In all honesty I believe it says more about them than it does about you.?

So why take it to heart?

Every day in our amazing industry we will hear many snippets of feedback. Opinions fly all over the place.Some ‘good’ and some ‘bad’.

This is over cooked, this is undercooked. The beer is too warm, the beer is too cold.?

And what’s more, the feedback you receive will depend entirely on who you ask.?

Everyone will have a different opinion on what you should do and how you should do it.?

One of the things I find valuable to do is to look for themes. Whilst my customers aren’t necessarily congruent in the art of running a restaurant, and they certainly aren’t always right, when many of them form the same opinion, maybe it's time to listen to what they are saying.?

Afterall, isn’t serving your customers needs what it’s all about?

Ciao, x