When your restaurant gets a lot of reviews, it becomes very important for you to learn to respond to them in a polite manner. It can be difficult for you to know what to say sometimes though, especially if the review is negative.
Address the Reviewer
With a negative review, it is important to ensure your response remains professional and positive. It is beneficial to begin with a personalized greeting, which can be as simple as addressing them by their first name.
If you want to personalize the review even more, you can do so by mentioning the details about the reviewer’s experience. You can also mention the dishes or the drinks that they ordered.
Either way, details like this are worth pointing out as they show that the response you are giving is not generic and directed at the reviewer. This same process can be done with a positive review, of course, changing your tone to reflect the post.
Say Thank You
These two words carry a huge amount of weight when it comes to reviews. This is especially the case if you are going through a turbulent time. Saying thank you will also open the door for you to get more feedback from your future patrons.
Thanking the customer will encourage reviews, which is particularly beneficial if you are relying on your reviews as a way to get more customers through the door.
When you get a review is negative, you need to also apologize. Customers want to hear an apology and they want to feel validated that their experience was, in fact, below the usual standards that people expect from the restaurant.
Apologizing will show your restaurant has humility and is willing to admit when they make a mistake. Nobody wants to eat at a restaurant that is far too proud to accept any shortcomings.
Make Things Right
If you have been left a really positive review from someone then show how much you appreciate their custom. You may even be able to offer them a discount on their next order. You will soon find that happy customers will return time and time again when you do this.
If other reviewers see that you have done this, you will find that they may be inclined to leave a review as well. If you want to give a discount code, consider offering it through your mobile restaurant app. A mobile restaurant app is a fantastic way for you to get repeat customers.
Although all of these discounts can be expensive, you have to remember that each discount you give out is paving the way for new customers. With a negative review you may also want to give a discount. This a way to try and apologize to your customers for the experience.
Make sure that you provide this discount off their next purchase however, because if you do then it encourages them to come back and dine with you. It will also make it much easier for you to remedy the situation to ensure it doesn’t happen again.