Somewhere deep in the recesses of the Pacific Coffee Company's storerooms are almost six years' worth of cards. The scribblings on them are a barometer of Hong Kong's attitudes towards the birth and growth of coffee culture here.
These feedback cards are, to the company at least, a treasure trove of information on likes, dislikes, suggestions, favourite locations, requests, complaints, comments on service, quality, cleanliness and variety. Each one is noted, logged and, most importantly, replied to.
'We make a point of calling every person back,' says Pacific Coffee Company's general manager, Philip Oakden. 'If customers take the time to fill in the cards, they deserve a personal response.' The customer response card can be a lifeline for those companies that use it wisely. Especially now, when the jumpy economy sinks its teeth into Hong Kong restaurateurs' once-packed diaries of table reservations.
Listening to customers and taking on board what they say are a few of the ways to deal with the pain, most restaurateurs say.
'It's not just finding out who our customers are,' Mr Oakden says. 'It's finding out what they want and how we can give it to them.' While a few restaurant managers in Hong Kong meet complaints with aggression and legal threats, others are jumping at the chance to discuss more than the specials of the day with customers.
'This market is getting very tough,' Mr Oakden says. 'If you can help people get what they want . . .' Receiving complaints is the first step in the process. Dealing with the customer who made the comment is the second. The third is the action taken as a result.