Restaurant owners and chefs used to anxiously await a visit from the local restaurant critic. Staff would be alerted and everyone would pull together to make sure everything was perfect. That person had the power to “make or break” a restaurant’s reputation. And their review, good or bad, lasted until the next one occurred…maybe for months or even years.
Today, because of sites like Yelp, Urban Spoon, and Google Places, a restaurant review is no longer an occasional event. Each and every customer who visits your restaurant can report their experience—the food, the service, the ambiance…even the cleanliness or availability of your restrooms!
And what they write is what many of your potential customers will read and how they will decide which restaurant to visit. They’ll be reading the fair reviews as well as the unfair ones! It’s an important part of restaurant marketing today to monitor all the online review sites and to have a plan for managing the results.
I recently wrote a review for a new restaurant in our area—a very positive review in which I referred to the decor as “contemporary and unexpected in a sports bar.” I was being complimentary! Within hours, I received a response from the owner who assured me that his restaurant was so much more than a sports bar and that he hoped I would come again and try some of the unique entrees on the menu.
Even though he interpreted my comments differently than I intended them, I was left with an even more positive feeling about the restaurant than I had formed on my first visit. Also, his timely and friendly response was there for all other viewers to read.
Even unflattering reviews—and hopefully there won’t be many—let you see your restaurant through a fresh set of eyes and can help you make small changes that might make a big impact! With your ability to respond (remember to be polite and gracious!) these online review sites give you an opportunity to interact with your customers like never before.
