For any newly founded or thriving restaurant business, online reviews play a vital role in scaling the company in the long run.
Unfortunately, user reviews are like a pendulum oscillating between two extremes – i.e., positive reviews to bring in more business or negative reviews to increase the customer churn factor. Regardless, you will have both good and bad reviews throughout the tenure of your food and beverage business on the internet.
Here are three great ways to manage online reviews for restaurants:
- Fake Reviews
Trolls or shady competitors frequently write fake reviews. The best way to call out on such reviews is by verifying if the user placed any online food order from your restaurant. If they didn’t, you could address the review by mentioning that the order was never placed and that the person may have left the review by mistake.
- Make Customers Feel Valued
Make it a habit of getting back to your customers through their respective reviews. Thank them for their business and make them feel special by posting personalized notes. If the reviews are negative, try to identify the issue behind the customers’ complaints and rectify the problem through incentives, discounts, and a sincere apology.
- Avoid Getting Impulsive
Do not respond to your customers’ reviews on your online restaurant page in an aggressive tone. Some people are extra picky about their orders but try to respond calmly and professionally.
Aggressiveness can often turn ugly for businesses, and it doesn’t take long for such reviews to go viral on the internet. Adopt a professional tone, and try to manage disgruntled customers by promising them value-added services on their next order.
Often, customers change their original reviews by updating them to show gratitude to the business for going the extra mile to provide stellar customer service.
