Last week I used a service to send hundreds of people a survey about Julia’s Take Away Gourmet and Catering.  I have to admit I was very proud of myself for designing and merging all of this technological stuff all on my own, quite a task for someone like me who is much better in the kitchen than the keyboard.  I also have to admit it was a little daunting to ask people for their honest and anonymous feedback.  I am pleased to say that the results were very positive, with a few “no opinions”, so I was very relieved by the end of the day!

For those of you who are regular customers, occasional customers, or just “holiday” customers, thank you for your thoughts.  Here are the results of the survey questions:

• 82% of you find Julia’s TAG either extremely or very convenient to use, 15% moderately convenient, 2% slightly convenient (I’m hoping that 2% simply wants to be able to come by every day all day!)
• combined, 83% of you like Wednesday pick up days.  Some of you want longer hours and I will try to accommodate this at Holidays in particular.  For the 18% of you who want to switch to Thursday, please remember I make everything fresh and you can always have your dinner ready for the next day!
• Thankfully, 67% of you responded you are extremely satisfied with the meals at Julia’s TAG!  25% are moderately satisfied, so if there is any specific feedback on this please let me know what would make it better.  8% didn’t have an opinion, and luckily no one that answered the survey was dissatisfied.  (phew…)
• Christmas was the Holiday you said you wanted the most help with, even over Thanksgiving.
• Fresh meals “ready to bake or serve” at home is the overwhelming favorite, followed by freezer meals and then a handful of you prefer “no orders needed days”.  I will continue to provide a combination of all of these, and don’t forget I am always just a phone call away for any special requests.
• A majority of respondents showed more interest in healthy meals.  I will continue trying to offer healthy options and will try include a few healthful sides, in combination with offering casseroles and side dishes that was requested by over 40% of you.  I always try to switch it up and make sure there is something for everyone at one point or another!
• This question is tricky: 56% of you prefer servings for 4, while 43% prefer servings of 2.  Please know if you want to order a menu item but only need it for 2, please ask if that can be accommodated- I try to when possible.
• 63% of you said you would utilize online ordering service, 25% said maybe, and 11% said no you wouldn’t use this.  I think it would be a good option and especially as business grows, I will be looking into this for the future.  You can always order and pay the old fashioned way…
• Last but not least, 66% of you who responded follow my blog, 22% do not, and 11% said they were going to start but have not yet.  I would love your encouragement in this area as a lot of my newsletter subscribers do not follow my blog.  I wonder if they think it is the same information?  So, do me a favor and the next time I write a post or share a recipe you think sounds good, share it with your friends or on face book and help me grow.

Putting yourself out there can be scary at times, but hearing your feedback and thoughts were well worth it!  I am very humbled at how pleased you are, and so glad that I can share my love of cooking with so many of you.  It is such a joy to see customers walk into the kitchen with a smile on their face and leave feeling relieved about having dinner ready.  All of you help me to enjoy the best of food and life, one customer at a time.  Thank you.