Each year, Dining Services and Racer Hospitality holds a survey for students to rate its separate vendors.

Each student, faculty and staff member is emailed the web address and a log in code to fill out the survey.

The survey provides direct information that will be used to improve dining establishments.

“The results come in the form of a graph and it shows customer satisfaction based on the categories provided,” said Paula Amols, director of Dining Services.

Last year, 1,300 people took the survey.

The survey started Monday Nov. 3. As of the following morning, 1100 people had taken the survey.

Madeleine Loftis, junior from Louisville, Ky., said it is cool that students get entered to win great prizes for giving their opinions.

“Students get to have a voice in the kind of dining services and food that we have on campus,” Loftis said.

After taking the survey, students are entered to win prizes. An Xbox One, Kindle Fire HDX, a bronze commuter meal plan, a $250 book -store gift card or a smart watch are up for grabs.

There is little work on the University’s part to get the results of the survey.

Along with other universities in the nation, Murray State is part of the National Association of College and University Food Service that provides the survey.

“We let them know that we would like to participate and they send us all the information about how to download it and put it out there,” Amols said. 

From there, the surveyor gives the University all of the results.

“They give us a picture of the customer satisfaction here. We can compare the satisfaction levels of all categories to all the other colleges,” Amols said.

The survey is broken into categories, including food quality satisfaction, freshness and how much presentation matters.

Madie McNeil, freshman from St. Louis, likes that she was able to give her own opinion during the survey.

“I was able to tell them what I liked about the food that was served in Winslow, and how well having a variety is working out,” McNeil said.

All responses are confidential and go through a third party provider. The access code students are given tracks who wins prizes. 

Story by Brittany Risko, Staff writer