Karen Was So Not Into This – Untill She Was

Stian Løkling Pedersen

Stian Løkling Pedersen

CEO & Founder

Apr 3, 2025

You remember Karen right? Wife of Ken. Toughest of critics. Avid Yelper.

That’s the one. Blonde bob. You remember.

But Karen is also passionate, detail-oriented, and well admittedly, a bit high-strung. As an event manager for one of the largest venues in the region, she’s seen it all: last-minute cancellations, overflowing restrooms, and even rogue pigeons invading an open-air gala.

Karen had her way of doing things. She was content. She thought the way she did things was fine.

Karen Was So Not Into This (Until She Was)

When Karen first heard the words “customer feedback solution,” she reacted the way she reacts to somebody applauding when an airplane lands: with a mix of deep suspicion and visible disdain.

She didn’t choose it. Someone at HQ did. Probably someone named Lars. Lars loves words like “implementation” and “synergy.”

She could just imagine all the “circling back” and “touching base” she’d have to do with this Lars character. Sigh.

And just like that, Karen found herself suddenly “owning” this new feedback platform she had never asked for. Lucky her.

Feedback Fatigue: The Prequel

Karen had visions of doom: daily dashboards, never-ending alerts, and pie charts multiplying like rabbits. Would she have to learn data analytics? Pivot tables? Was this going to be her villain origin story?

She braced for what she assumed would be a tsunami of extra work. More emails. More logins. More reasons to consider early retirement. Imagine spending all day everyday with Ken. She shuddered at the thought.

Spoiler: It wasn’t like that. At all.

Karen Logs In (Reluctantly)

On Monday morning, coffee in hand and skepticism at DEFCON 1, Karen finally logged in.

And… you know what? It was kind of fine. Actually, it was better than fine.

No ten-step onboarding. No data bootcamps. No “Karen, can you pull a report on customer demographics per venue by region by yesterday?”

Just one login. A sparkling clean dashboard. An intuitive interface. And one very relieved Karen.

Wait- This Thing Sorts It For Me?

She clicked through. The AI had already:

  • Grouped all feedback into neat, readable categories
  • Flagged priority items (a.k.a. potential dumpster fires)
  • Highlighted the good stuff, too (Karen loves a compliment)

It even ranked the impact of every question on overall satisfacion so she could see what mattered most to guests, without squinting at spreadsheets or decoding vague complaints about “ambiance.”

“Oh,” she muttered. “This is… helpful.”

The Feedback That Almost Broke Her

Later that week, one venue got hit with a flurry of guest feedback:

  • “Tables not clean.”
  • “Staff seemed distracted.”
  • “Where are the forks?!”

Normally, this would’ve sent Karen spiraling into a passive-aggressive email drafting session. Typing away like a blonde-bobbed Bruce Almighty answering prayers. But this time?

She saw the alerts in real time. Pinged the site manager. Problem solved before lunch.

By the next day, guests were raving about how responsive the team was. One even said: “You can tell someone’s actually listening.”

Karen may have even cracked a smile. Just a little.

The Final Plot Twist

By the end of the month, Karen wasn’t just using the feedback tool-she was recommending it. To Lars. To the site managers. Even to her friend Emily, who still uses google forms like it’s 2003.

Karen realized feedback doesn’t have to be scary, messy, or overwhelming. Not when the system does the sorting, the prioritizing, and the translating for you.

Karen’s Takeaway: Resistance Is Futile (and Unnecessary)

If you’ve ever worried that adopting a feedback system would create more work, require a PhD in data science, or send your blood pressure through the roof, Karen gets you.

She was so not into this.

Until she was.

All it took was logging in.

Feedback doesn’t have to be your enemy. With the right solution (ahem, like Foodback), even a Karen can become a convert.

No spreadsheets. No chaos. Just clarity.

No extra work. Just actionable insights.

And you know what? Maybe even a few compliments along the way.

Make Sure You Never Miss A Karen Article

 

Stian L. Pedersen - Foodback

Stian Løkling Pedersen

Founder & CEO

Recent blog articles from Foodback

Don’t Be The Old Scout In The Room: Be Billy Beane

Don’t Be The Old Scout In The Room: Be Billy Beane

There’s a famous scene in  Moneyball, one of my all-time favorite movies, that perfectly illustrates the age-old battle between tradition and innovation. The fight between the old school and the new. Don’t be the old scouts in that room…

read more
Reviews vs. Feedback: Fixing the Broken System

Reviews vs. Feedback: Fixing the Broken System

There’s a common belief in the hospitality industry: online reviews are king. They shape reputations, influence bookings, and can make or break business.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth, reviews were never designed to help businesses.

I said I hate reviews but let me nuance that.

I don’t hate reviews; I hate what reviews have become…

read more
Share This