As a restaurant owner, one has come across bad reviews more often than once. Your first instinct will be to get angry because the bad review eats you up! On a second thought, you will think that the review is just an attempt by the customer to get the free meal.
So, what you do?
Do you slam the reviewer or respond to the reviewer responsibly? Being a restaurant owner, you must think of it as an opportunity and show your integrity for your business.
You might end up turning this bad review into your favor and gain some insights to improve your food business further. You can learn two valuable things from a bad review –
A third person’s perspective brings clarity about a problem that you might not have been able to see yet
An opportunity to show that you are always keen on improving things
So, let us dig into the ideal way to respond to a bad review as a restaurant owner –
1. Read it aloud
The rule of thumb is to read the review aloud and digest every part of it. Hang on it and see it from the perspective of the reviewer. Figure out where you went wrong. It might be on the delivery side or customer had a bad experience in your restaurant itself. Try to put yourself into the customer’s shoes and be well aware of the situation.
2. Give it a few days to prepare your response
Take a few days before you respond. Although a prompt response is appreciated yet it should not be aggressive or disrespectful. So cross verify at your end and keep a close eye on the things that reviewer pointed out. Did he complain about the rude behavior of staff or a spicy dish? Check things for yourself and prepare your response accordingly.
3. Be respectful in your response
Keep your head cool while preparing for the response. Remember your response also represents your business so craft it respectfully. A plain ‘sorry’ might not be the best way to mend things. If it is your fault, accept the mistake and address the issue. Pay attention to every word you say in making your response. You want the audience to think positive about your business so be positive in what you say.
The dos:
- Extend your gratitude for their feedback
- Address every issue they brought up
- Confess the fault and tell them your honest opinion about what went wrong
- Point out some good things they might have missed
- Invite them again and ask them for a chance to improve
The don’ts:
- Never ridicule the reviewer
- Do not deny their review
- Do not tell them they are wrong
- Never argue with them
4. Try humor
Humor is a great way to turn a bad review into a big win. This can be done on the social media sites like Twitter. Try to talk with a friendly approach and have a bit of fun. But, you must never cross the limit or turn it into an unkind response knowingly or unknowingly. Many restaurants are known to have tried humor to win over the bad reviewers.
5. Take help of food ordering app (Voolsy) for a bespoke experience
Food apps can do wonder in improving your business credibility and customer experience. Many times, the customers give bad reviews because of untimely service or a lousy experience. In such cases, food app like Voolsy can turn things around in a good way.
Voolsy will help the restaurant on better management by being the virtual waiter for the customer. So, it eliminated the need for a physical menu or a person to cater the customers in busy hours. It is the best to improve your restaurant standards and keep the customers happy with exclusive promotional offers via Voolsy app.