I was at a local restaurant recently. As in many retail establishments, they offered a comment card for me to give my opinion. They questions were pretty typical (“how was our service?” , “how was the quality of our food” , “was our facility clean”, etc…). But one question stuck out to me. I had not seen this question asked in this way on other cards:

“Compared to __________________ restaurant, our restaurant is:

__ Not as good __ About the same __ Much Better

Our lives are full of choices and as consumers, we make a thousand choices a day. But as small business owners, we often want people to rate us (I’m a strong advocate for promoting online reviews through sites like InsiderPages, Yahoo Local, Yelp, etc…). But do we allow our customers the right to tell us that COMPARED TO OUR COMPETITION, HOW DO WE MEASURE UP?

I think this is a strong statement from the management of this restaurant that they know that their clients shop around and eat at other eateries. They are not so arrogant or naive to think customers are 100% loyal. So in allowing their clients to rate them in comparison to their competition, not only do they get a window into what consumers prefer at various establishments, they communicate trust and reality. We’re not just islands where people come to us because there is no choice. We live in a fast and furious culture where consumers are picky and they most definitely compare us to our competitors. How novel it is to ASK your clients how you stand up against the others. You might try asking!

Don’t forget 2 upcoming FREE events:

Monday, Aug 18 – Stephen MR Covey – Coaching Excellence Series – FREE CALL – ENROLL at Duct Tape Marketing site

Thursday, Aug 21 – Dr. Rick Lytle (ACU College of Business Adminsitration Dean) Talks with The Marketing Twins about Faith and Leadership in the marketplace! REGISTER FOR THIS FREE CALL – CLICK HERE!
-Randy