In the foodservice industry, online reviews your organization receives are just as important as the food being served. If your operation receives overwhelmingly positive reviews, it means more sales and a bright future. On the other hand, online reviews at your restaurant are peppered with negative reviews, you’re likely to have the opposite result.
Consumers put a great weight on online reviews and among all organizations, reviews of restaurants are the most widely read.
With this in mind, the infographic below, How to Deal with Bad Online Reviews of Your Restaurant, will highlight the power of reviews and how to respond to a negative review.
Responding to negative reviews correctly is the most important technique a restaurant can employ for negative reviews. Replying the wrong way will turn that negative into a vastly bigger negative but if you reply professionally you can turn a negative into a potential positive.
Use the infographic as a guide for writing your response. Keeping in mind that potential customers will likely view your response just as carefully as the negative review itself. Responding professionally is essential no matter how unfair or rude the review strikes you. This is why it’s a good idea to respond quickly to negative reviews. Reflect on the underlying problem, and respond just as diplomatically as you would to a patron experiencing an issue right in the restaurant. Consider also listening to negative reviews and making improvements to the real problems mentioned in reviews. Remember, bad reviews can help improve operations and give you a chance to win the customer back over.
Keep in mind customer issues never get better with age. A badly delayed response is sure to create further issues and give potential customers the impression you either don’t care or don’t operate efficiently when acting on customer complaints. On the other hand, with a quick, brief, and polite response, you can win the customer back and persuade new customers that see your restaurant as a responsive and committed business. For more information on handling negative online reviews, please continue reading below.
Infographic created by TouchBistro, a restaurant pos hardware provider
