2024, B2B2C SaaS
Driving engagement and repeat visits through feedback features
Introduction
At Dojo Bookings, we aim to create seamless experiences for both restaurant owners and their guests. This case study focuses on developing a feedback feature that not only gathers actionable insights from guests but also drives guest engagement, increasing new and repeat visits while improving customer satisfaction - critical elements for restaurant success.
The opportunity
We hypothesised that enabling merchants to gather structured feedback and guide guests to share reviews on public platforms would
Drive higher engagement, leading to increased guest loyalty and repeat visits.
Provide restaurant owners with actionable insights, helping to personalise guest experiences and optimise service.
Establish trust through transparent workflows that empower owners to manage feedback effectively and ethically.
The problem
Restaurant owners highlighted the need for a structured way to collect guest feedback after their visit. Key pain points included
Positive reviews on platforms like Google are essential for attracting new customers. Without an easy way to gather and showcase them, restaurants miss out on significant opportunities to grow their audience.
Without a feedback loop, it’s challenging to personalise repeat visits or effectively address pain points.
While restaurant owners valued the potential of such a feature, some expressed ethical concerns about selectively promoting positive reviews, highlighting the importance of balancing transparency with effectiveness.
Success criteria
To measure success, we focused on the following metrics
15 - 20% of guests leave feedback after receiving a follow-up email - boosting insights into customer satisfaction.
10 - 30% of feedback results in Google reviews - driving online visibility and attracting new guests.
5% increase in new visits from positive reviews - direct impact on customer acquisition.
Research and insights
Customer interviews with restaurant owners revealed valuable insights
Owners expressed that while positive feedback is appreciated, they are more concerned with addressing negative feedback to ensure better service and a more personalised experience for returning guests.
Smaller venues avoid discounts during busy periods but need tools to drive traffic during quieter times.
Responding to feedback can be labour-intensive, creating a need for efficiency.
While restaurants appreciated the ability to manage feedback, some felt that selectively publishing reviews could cross ethical boundaries. However, they were still keen to using the feature, particularly for handling feedback privately before making it public.
Competitor analysis
By analysing direct competitors and solutions from other industries, we identified opportunities to improve on existing features while upholding ethical practices.
Customer journey mapping
We identified key touchpoints in the customer journey, from booking to post-visit, where feedback can be used to drive guest engagement, enhance personalised experiences, and boost retention.
JTBD framework
Clarified the primary goals of restaurant owners: attract new guests, enhance experiences, and drive repeat visits.
Data analysis
Our RICE prioritisation confirmed this initiative’s high potential to deliver significant business value.
"Getting positive reviews on Google is essential for bringing in new customers, but we were struggling to get guests to leave them. We need a way to easily push great feedback to Google so we can build our online presence and attract more people—without adding extra work.”
— Sam at Bun X
Key insights and design implications
🔎
Restaurants need actionable negative feedback for service improvement.
💡
Surface negative feedback prominently in guest profiles to enable tailored service.
🔎
Smaller venues need strategies to fill quieter periods without discounts.
💡
Introduce time-specific promotions to target low-demand times.
🔎
Feedback responses are time-consuming for owners.
💡
Provide pre-written response templates to streamline responses.
🔎
Transparency matters; hiding negative reviews feels misleading.
💡
Allow restaurants to customise feedback workflows, balancing transparency and operational goals.
Design process
Discovery
Collaborated with the PM and engineers to identify and prioritise high-impact problems.
HMW workshop
Brainstormed potential solutions with stakeholders.
Prototyping
Iterated quickly to design a lean, loveable product (MLP).
User testing
Prototypes were tested with customers, leading to key iterations, such as
Simplified workflows for feedback collection.
Options for customising review visibility.
Addition of an onboarding flow to ensure adoption.
The onboarding flow
Previously, the RMS at Dojo Bookings didn’t include onboarding for new features, assuming users would adopt them naturally. However, feedback collection required active participation, making an intuitive onboarding flow essential. The flow included
Merchants were guided through enabling the feedback feature, setting thresholds for sharing reviews (e.g., automatically posting ratings above 4 stars to Google or keeping all feedback private), and tailoring email templates.
To help restaurants lacking marketing expertise, we introduced ready-to-use email templates with varying tones - friendly, professional, or playful - allowing venues to easily personalise follow-ups.
Benefits
Simplified setup and increased engagement, particularly for smaller venues.
Empowered merchants to manage reviews and feedback with flexibility.
Established a scalable, user-friendly approach for future feature rollouts.
Future iterations and cross-squad collaboration
For the first iteration, the feedback flow is triggered by follow-up emails sent after bookings. However, future iterations will expand to additional entry points, such as
After a guest orders and pays through Dojo’s point-of-sale mobile system.
After a guest pays by QR code, offering a seamless feedback opportunity immediately after their visit.
To achieve this, we will collaborate with cross-functional squads across bookings, payments, and guest engagement to ensure a unified experience. This approach not only unlocks new opportunities for feedback collection but also builds stronger cohesion across the Dojo product ecosystem.
Accessibility and Inclusivity
The solution was designed to meet the needs of all restaurant types, including those less familiar with digital tools. Customisation options allowed for flexibility in the feedback process, whether for high-volume venues or quieter spots. The intuitive onboarding flow ensured even non-digital natives could quickly get up to speed, with pre-designed email templates and simple setup guides for users of all technical levels.
Final solution
The final design balanced usability, value, and transparency. Key features included
Automated follow-up emails: Collected guest feedback post-visit.
Guest profiles with feedback integration: Negative feedback surfaced for personalised service.
Customisable feedback workflows: Merchants decided how feedback was displayed and used.
Onboarding flow: Ensured adoption and demonstrated clear benefits.
Outcomes and reflections
Though still in development, early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Restaurant owners were particularly excited about
The ability to address guest concerns before public reviews.
Streamlined feedback collection without additional administrative burden.
The onboarding flow, which made adoption intuitive and demonstrated immediate value.
Metrics we are monitoring post-launch
Guest feedback rates: Percentage of guests leaving feedback.
Conversion to Google reviews: Percentage of positive feedback leading to public reviews.
Increase in bookings and repeat visits: Correlation between positive feedback and customer engagement.
