The food industry thrives on word of mouth. Negative restaurant reviews are unfortunately inevitable. Bad news travels at a light speed. With access to a large variety of online rating sites, bad restaurant reviews can be difficult to handle. You are in the restaurant business because you love serving people great food and drinks. It’s unrealistic to expect from you and your staff to make your customers happy all the time. When you receive a complaint, however, you should see this negative feedback as a prime opportunity to effectively respond and resolve any issues that are brought to your attention by the reviewers.
The (food) service industry, as implied by its name, primarily relies on its ability to deliver. When people hear about great service from a particular restaurant, they flock in masses to experience it for themselves. In contrast, people are more likely to avoid visiting certain dining establishments when they hear there is much to be desired in the food and/or service there. In the advent of the digital age, information can be passed along more rapidly than before. Nearly 70% of people using the internet are influenced by restaurant reviews. Consequently, negative restaurant reviews are publicized and spread just as quickly because of the technology we have access to. Therefore, knowing how to handle bad restaurant reviews is very important.
Restaurant reviews of yesteryear were printed in circulated newspapers, giving restaurateurs little opportunity to respond. In fact, the traditional way to address a feedback was to invite a food critic to return to your restaurant. With numerous online (restaurant) review sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor, OpenTable and Urbanspoon, customers can not only post their reviews but restaurant can also respond to them. As a restaurateur, you have very limited control over what people say online about your restaurant. But you do have control over how you handle bad publicity. Fortunately for you, this builds positive rapport with customers that have potential to turn any negative attention into a chance to strengthen your credibility within the restaurant industry.
Accepting Criticism for What It Is
Whether a critique is positive or negative, embrace it as an opportunity to grow and develop your business. A sterling customer restaurant review will highlight the strengths in your experience. If they loved the way their meals were prepared and cooked, that indicates you have a professional chef along with a competent kitchen staff. If they were impressed by the service, then you have a waiter or a waitress which other staff members can learn from.
The common and erroneous belief that many people have is that negative restaurant reviews are exaggerated. While it is certainly true that some disgruntled diners have the tendency to blow matters out of proportion, don’t leave a negative review ignored because you think it’s overstated. Instead, carefully consider what it says. Did they complain about a particular server? Was the noise pollution unbearable? Were the chairs uncomfortable or tables flimsy? Maybe they were served dirty dishware. Or they had to wait longer than expected for their food with no apology or explanation provided. Perhaps, organize a staff meeting to investigate these complaints.
Being Calm and Professional in Your Response
A well-written response is not just for peace of mind. It’s also another way to attract more customers. According to this survey research, 44.6 % of consumers are more likely to visit a business that responds to its feedback. Unfortunately, many businesses, including restaurants, are not taking advantage of this practice. The same report also shows that 63 percent of customer reviews never get a response. Silence isn’t always golden. Responding to negative restaurant reviews show both the reviewers and customers that you care about your patrons and are willing to correct the mistakes that are made in service, food, ambiance, restaurant furniture, equipment, etc. When it comes to negative restaurant reviews, it’s best to spend some time on a thoughtful response rather than posting something immediately that will seem combative, confrontational or emotionally charged.
How do you write a short and effective response to what some may perceive to be a vitriol attack against your business? It boils down to the following six step process:
- Address the reviewer/critic individually
- Thank them for their feedback
- Apologize and sympathize
- Take responsibility (even if it’s not entirely your fault)
- Assure them that these issues will be resolved
- Offer to discuss the issue further in private or offline
Another great option is to put someone (perhaps one of your employees) in charge of managing online communication and responding to reviews. Or you can hire a company or professionals that specialize in (online) review management.
Demonstrating Excellent Customer Service by Responding to Reviews
Social media has provided an open arena for people to share their experiences. Hence, their complaints are made public thus your methods of response to written communication. You can minimize potential damage by publicly replying to the commentator on the same platform. Start by following the six step process as mentioned earlier. From there, you can ask suggestions for how to resolve the issue or what improvements they like to see. Offer a discount or coupon if possible. Although many restaurateurs don’t proceed after the first message but following up is crucial for meeting and exceeding customer expectations. The point here, especially when people post reviews about your restaurant on social media or comment negatively on your page, is to publically show that you are sincerely committed to rectifying the situation.
You can’t fix what you don’t know what is broken though. Even if you are in your restaurant all day and every day, it’s unreasonable for people to think you are involved in every customer experience. Reading all reviews regularly can help you reveal which staff member needs additional training, highlighting areas to improve on your menu, or offer suggestions that can evolve your guests’ dining experience. There is always a silver lining when it comes to online restaurant reviews. The important thing to remember is a few bad restaurant reviews – even when most of your customers are happy with your service – should not affect your bottom line. Be careful and don’t get too personal. Note that it’s not just the reviewer reading your response but anyone visiting your website or social media page. Look to see if the reviewer makes any constructive criticism you can use to improve your business. Keep regular tabs on the reviews so you can gain a better understanding how your decisions will impact customers and can quickly respond when you need to.
Optimizing Responses to Online Restaurant Reviews
When done correctly, a response shows value and care to the customers. Not all negative restaurant reviews are detrimental to your business. Sometimes, they can open the door to many business opportunities. Most people realistically aren’t looking for perfection. They just want to be acknowledged with an honest and serious response from you. When offering a great response, you might find reviewers complimenting you in return. This essentially transforms a negative review into a positive review. Restaurants, like most commercial businesses, heavily depend on word of mouth as its often your best form of advertisement. It can turn a small, unknown eatery into the most popular dining destination in town. Yet, foot traffic can dwindle just as quickly when you have bad customer restaurant reviews. Learning how to respond to negative restaurant reviews with a well-crafted reply can kill two birds with one stone. On one hand, you can help your restaurant business save face with the reviewer who complained. At the same token, you are showing potential customers that you are dedicated to improving dining experience as well as the vital role that customer reviews play in that process.