GS: That is definitely quite a loud experience - typically, we expect bars to be noisy, but when restaurants are registering that loud, that's quite excessive. Some people enjoy the loud environment but many are increasingly avoiding places that are too loud. There was a survey that showed that more than 50% of patrons have at one time or another left a venue due to loud noise levels. When people avoid going to a restaurant because its too noisy, often times the venue manager is not aware why. The patrons don't return, they don't tell their friends about it and the manager is unaware they can do something about the acoustics. Acoustics affect the dining experience, including the taste of the food, and the app is a way to indicate to managers to be more cognizant of the noise.
JB: You've put your finger on something interesting, Gregory. We are often embarrassed about pointing out something like this. It makes us uncomfortable to be critical. I know I would not have relished telling the staff last night about the unacceptable sound level. Yet, bringing that information to them can really affect their business in a positive way. How can people learn more about you and SoundPrint?
GS: That's true about a different way to inform the staff about noise levels, but done in a constructive way, as well and with a platform that aims to work with the venues.
To learn more about SoundPrint, readers would go to the website and read the latest blog posts, view the Quiet Lists, and sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay on top of the latest news. If you want to contact us directly, you can email info@soundprint.co with thoughts and questions!
JB: Before we sign off, tell us a little about your very cool logo and how you came up with it.
GS: Since SoundPrint was about "sound" which is audible as opposed to being tangible and visible to the naked eye, it was important to have a logo that visualized "measuring or capturing" sound in some way. We had already come up with the name SoundPrint, thus it was configured to have an ear logo inside of a thumbprint. Some people get this right away and some get it after looking at it for awhile. It's a nifty clever icon and glad you like it!
JB: I didn't get it right off the bat and then it gradually revealed itself to me! Very satisfying. It's been lovely talking with you, Gregory. Good luck with SoundPrint. It's a true public service, aiming to improve our quality of life while preserving our hearing (and sanity) for as long as possible! done
GS: Thanks for having us and listening (pun-intended) to our story and mission. We hope it resonates with your readers. It's been a pleasure!
Thank you, Meryl Ann, for taking a good image much, much more effective!
Thank you to my son, Michael, for caring about me enough to send me the Vox.com article in the first place.
Vox.com article: Restaurants are too freaking loud. This app helps you shame them.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
