Short answer: Ask three to five questions, not twenty: an overall rating, food, service, and one open "what could we do better?". Put it on a QR code on the table or bill folder, offer it in your guests' languages, and read it every day. Keep it separate from your Google review request, and ask every guest for both.
The 5-question template
If you only use one form, use this. It takes under a minute and covers what most restaurants can act on this week.
- How was your visit today? (1–5 stars)
- How was the food? (1–5)
- How was the service? (1–5)
- What is one thing we could do better?
- May we contact you about this? (name and phone, optional)
Add one question from the bank below only when you're actively working on that area. For example, add the delivery questions for a month while you fix packaging, then take them out.
30 restaurant feedback questions by topic
Overall
- How was your visit today? (1–5)
- How likely are you to recommend us to a friend? (0–10)
- Was this your first visit?
- What brought you in today? (passing by, friend, Google, Zomato/Swiggy, Instagram, other)
Food
- How was the taste of your food? (1–5)
- Was your food served at the right temperature?
- Which dish did you enjoy most?
- Was anything not as you expected? What?
- How was the spice level for you? (too mild, right, too spicy)
- Did we cater well to your dietary needs (Jain, vegan, allergies)?
Service
- How friendly and attentive was your server? (1–5)
- Who looked after you today? (optional)
- How long did you wait for your food? (under 15 min, 15–30, over 30)
- Did anyone check on you during the meal?
- Was your order correct?
Ambience and cleanliness
- How clean were the table and dining area? (1–5)
- How clean were the washrooms? (1–5)
- How was the noise level?
- Was the seating comfortable?
Value and billing
- How was the value for money? (1–5)
- Was the bill explained clearly and correct?
- Did you get to pay the way you wanted (UPI, card, cash)?
Delivery and takeaway
- Did your order arrive on time?
- Did the food arrive hot and well packed?
- Was anything missing from your order?
- Did you order directly from us or through an app?
Open questions
- What is one thing we could do better?
- Is there a dish you'd like us to add to the menu?
- Anything else you'd like the owner to know?
- May we contact you about your feedback? (name and phone, optional)
How to write questions people actually answer
- One idea per question. "How were the food and service?" can't be answered with one number.
- Ratings first, typing last. Tapping a star is easy; typing on a phone is not. Put the open question at the end.
- Make contact details optional. Asking for a phone number up front stops many people from answering at all.
- Use the guest's language. In India, a guest who reads Hindi, Marathi, Tamil or Bengali more comfortably than English gives more honest, more detailed answers in that language.
- Don't lead. "How amazing was our biryani?" gets you useless answers. "How was the biryani?" gets you the truth.
Paper card or QR code?
| Paper comment card | QR code form |
|---|
| Cost | Printing and someone to type up answers | Free tools exist; answers arrive digitally |
| Languages | One per card print | Can switch language on the phone |
| Who answers | Guests at the table, including those without smartphones | Guests with a phone; also works after they leave |
| Speed to act | Slow; cards pile up | Same day |
For most restaurants a QR code on a table tent and on the bill folder works best. Free form builders (Google Forms, Typeform and others) are enough to start; see review stands vs NFC cards for what to print it on.
When to ask
- Dine-in: with the bill, while the experience is fresh and the guest is waiting anyway.
- Takeaway: a QR sticker on the bag or box.
- Delivery: an insert in the packaging; app orders also get the platform's own rating request, so keep yours short.
- Regulars: don't ask every visit. Once a month is plenty.
Feedback forms and Google reviews: ask for both
A private feedback form tells you what to fix. A public review on Google or Zomato tells the next guest whether to come in. They are different jobs, and it is tempting to connect them so that only happy guests are asked to review. Google's review policies say businesses shouldn't selectively ask satisfied customers or discourage negative reviews, and reviews collected that way can be removed. Ask every guest for an honest review, and offer the feedback form as well.
For the review side, see restaurant review management and how to get more Zomato reviews.
Turn feedback into fixes
- Daily: read every answer; reply within a day to anyone who left contact details and had a problem.
- Weekly: tag each comment (food, wait time, staff, cleanliness, price) and count. Anything mentioned three or more times is a process problem.
- Monthly: pick one fix, tell the team, and check whether that tag drops next month.
- Close the loop: when you fix something guests raised, say so on a table card or in your Google Business Profile updates.
Frequently asked questions
What should a restaurant feedback form ask?
Keep it to the few things you can act on: overall experience, food, service, value and one open question about what to improve. A five-question form gets far more answers than a twenty-question one. Use the question bank on this page to pick the questions that match what you want to fix.
How long should a restaurant feedback form be?
Short enough to finish before the bill arrives: three to five questions, ideally one rating and one open question at minimum. Every extra question costs you responses.
Should I use a paper comment card or a QR code?
A QR code on the table or bill folder is cheaper to run, works in any language, and puts answers straight into a spreadsheet or dashboard. Paper still works for older guests or very busy service; some restaurants keep both.
Is a feedback form the same as asking for a Google review?
No. A feedback form is private and helps you fix things; a Google review is public and helps new guests choose you. Google says businesses shouldn't ask only happy customers for reviews or discourage negative ones, so ask every guest for both, rather than using the form to filter who gets asked to review.
Can I offer a discount for filling in a feedback form?
For a private feedback form, many restaurants do offer a small thank-you. Never tie a reward to leaving a public review on Google or Zomato, though: that breaks their policies and can get reviews removed.
What should I do with the feedback?
Read it daily during service weeks, reply to anyone who left contact details within a day, and look for patterns weekly: the same complaint three times is a process problem, not a bad night.
Related guides: How to collect customer feedback · Restaurant review management · How to get your Google review link
Source for the review-request rules: Google, Maps user-contributed content policy. Question bank compiled by the Saint Aura team.
Reviews in your guests' own language
Saint Aura's table QR asks guests a couple of quick questions in their language and helps them write and post their review on Google or Zomato in under a minute.
