What 100 restaurants taught us about reducing “review friction” with QR + NFC
In this report, Opinas shares a complementary angle: what happens inside restaurants when you remove friction at the exact moment a guest is most likely to leave a review, using QR codes and NFC touchpoints connected to Google Maps.
Why we ran this analysis
BrightLocal’s consumer survey highlights a familiar paradox: people say they’re open to leaving reviews, but fewer actually follow through. That gap suggests a simple truth for restaurants:
Willingness isn’t the problem—friction is.
So we asked: What changes when you make review-writing effortless at the right moment?
Methodology
Dataset: 100 restaurants using Opinas
Period: January–December 2025
What we measured: review-writing behavior driven by Opinas QR and NFC prompts
Primary outcome: “Review written before the customer left” (tracked as a review completed shortly after a QR/NFC prompt during the visit)
Comparisons used:
- “Checkout prompts” (QR/NFC presented at payment/checkout) vs “ask later” approaches (verbal reminders or post-visit requests)
- Restaurants using employee attribution + team ranking vs restaurants not using team-based tracking
Note: This is an observational analysis based on product analytics, not a randomized controlled trial.
Findings from Opinas (2025)
1) Checkout is the “moment of truth”
When diners are already leaving, intention fades quickly. Placing the review prompt during payment captures the moment while the experience is still fresh.
Result: In our 2025 analysis of 100 restaurants, QR and NFC prompts at checkout increased the likelihood of a review being written before the customer left by 74% compared with “ask later” approaches.
What this suggests: timing matters as much as satisfaction. The closer the prompt is to the end of the experience, the higher the follow-through.
2) Teams beat tactics when every employee has their own QR/NFC
Many restaurants try “review pushes” in bursts. The ones that grow consistently tend to make review collection a shared habit—not a one-person task.
In these restaurants, staff are equipped with their own QR codes or NFC cards, allowing review requests to feel natural, trackable, and consistent.
Result: Restaurants that used Opinas’ employee-level tracking and team ranking generated around 30% more reviews than restaurants that did not involve staff through measurable team workflows.
What this suggests: when review collection becomes part of team culture—and performance is visible—consistency improves and review volume rises without relying on constant owner reminders.
What restaurants can do with this (simple, practical moves)
If you want review growth that doesn’t fade after two weeks, these are the operational levers that matter most:
- Put the prompt at checkout (counter, receipt area, or a stand near the terminal).
- Make it one step (QR scan or NFC tap—no searching, no copying links).
- Equip staff with their own QR/NFC so the habit is shared across the team.
- Keep it human: a friendly close to a great meal works better than a scripted pitch.
