Your restaurant just received a bad review, now what? Restaurants get many reviews both good and bad. Both positive and negative reviews help in improving the services of a restaurant. 34% of diners rely on reviews and 53% of 18-34 year olds rely on reviews. (source: modern restaurant management) While positive reviews attract new customers, negative reviews provide feedback and aid in the improvement of brand reputation. Here are 5 things you must keep in mind when you come across a bad review about your restaurant online.
Be calm, composed and look at things objectively. Becoming blinded by frustration or anxiousness will not be good for your restaurant’s image online.
After having looked at the review objectively, you will be able to understand and determine how you need to improve any aspect of your restaurant, customer service included.
In other words, by looking at the bad review objectively, you will understand that with this review you are also receiving feedback on your service and you will be able to form an adequate response.
Mistakes can happen, whether from your side or the customers’ side.
If it is a complaint about something on your side, own up to it.
Take responsibility and deal with things accordingly, you can offer compensation or ask to make up for any mistakes that were caused
After calmly approaching the situation and handling it accordingly, ask for feedback about their services again and if the situation permits it, ask for a positive review.
If you successfully solved the issue, the customers would be willing to provide you with a positive review and speak about how you were able to make things better for them.
With this, you will be able to gain customers’ trust to handle things appropriately and make their dining experience the best.
Customers post reviews online, positive or negative, when they feel comfortable about speaking of it.
This is why some customers who have a bad review will not speak to you directly at the restaurant, but instead post about it online.
In order to make sure that the complaints come to you directly before they go online, you could create a feedback management app which would organize the reviews and direct them to you.
The app would help with providing reports of customer satisfaction and help you manage things imediately and it won’t affect the restaurants reputation.
A bad review is a good thing as it means that a customer has taken note of your restaurant and decided to look at different aspects of your restaurant in detail.
If you are able to successfully handle such comments, you will improve your brand reputation tremendously. Book your no obligation call today to take a bit out of your disappointed sales and let Calvary Marketing find a marketing strategy suited just for you!
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