How to Get Your Restaurant Reviewed: A Guide for Food Business Owners

 

As a restaurant owner, you know that word of mouth is critical to the success of your business. In today’s digital age, online restaurant reviews have become a major factor in shaping customers’ perceptions of your restaurant. Positive reviews can drive new customers to your business, while negative reviews can drive potential customers away. Getting your restaurant reviewed can be a great way to increase exposure and attract new customers. However, getting your restaurant reviewed can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t know where to start. In this article we will discuss why restaurant reviews are important, how to get your restaurant reviewed, how to prepare for a review and how to respond to negative reviews. Whether you’re a new restaurant owner or a seasoned professional, this guide will give you valuable insight into how to get your restaurant reviewed and how to make the most of your online presence.

Why restaurant reviews are important

Why restaurant reviews are important:

Restaurant reviews can have a significant impact on the success of your business. According to a study by BrightLocal, 91% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses and 84% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Positive reviews can attract new customers to your restaurant, increase your search engine visibility and improve your online reputation. On the other hand, negative reviews can drive away potential customers and damage your reputation. By actively seeking reviews for your restaurant, you can gain valuable feedback from your customers, improve your business practices, and increase your overall visibility. In addition, reviews can help you identify areas where you excel and areas where you need to improve. By understanding the importance of restaurant reviews, you can take steps to ensure that your business is well represented online and that your customers are happy with their experience.

How to get your restaurant reviewed

1. Create a Google My Business listing: This will allow customers to leave reviews on your business listing, which will appear in Google search results and on Google Maps.
2. Create social media accounts: Encourage customers to leave reviews on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
3. Reach out to food bloggers and influencers: Contact local food bloggers and influencers and invite them to your restaurant for a free meal in exchange for a review.
4. Offer promotions: Offer discounts or other promotions to customers who leave a review on your business listing or social media accounts.
5. Host events: Host events, such as grand openings or special menus, and invite local food writers and bloggers to attend and review.
6. Respond to reviews: Respond to both positive and negative reviews in a professional and courteous manner. This shows potential customers that you value their feedback and are committed to providing excellent customer service.
7. Provide excellent service: The best way to get positive reviews is to provide excellent service and quality food. By ensuring that your customers have a positive experience at your restaurant, they will be more likely to leave a positive review.

Preparing a restaurant review

1. Train your staff: Train your staff to provide excellent customer service, including how to handle complaints and special requests.
2. Ensure quality food: Ensure that your food is consistently high quality and that your menu items are prepared according to customer preferences.
3. Cleanliness: Ensure your restaurant is clean and well maintained, with a welcoming atmosphere.
4. Review policies: Review your policy for dealing with negative reviews, including how to respond to them in a professional and courteous manner.
5. Have a point of contact: Designate a point of contact for the reviewer, someone who can answer questions and provide information about your restaurant.
6. Prepare a menu: Prepare a menu of your signature dishes and any specials you would like the reviewer to try.
7. Gather information: Gather information about the reviewer, including their food preferences and any dietary restrictions they may have.
8. Timing: Schedule the review for a time when you are fully staffed and able to provide the best possible experience for the reviewer.

Follow-up to a restaurant review

1. Thank the reviewer: Whether the review was positive or negative, it is important to thank the reviewer for taking the time to share their experience.
2. Address any concerns: If the review contained negative feedback, address those concerns and offer solutions or an apology if appropriate.
3. Share the review: Share the review on your social media accounts and website to showcase your positive reviews and attract new customers.
4. Take action: Use the feedback from the review to improve your business practices and make any necessary changes.
5. Respond to comments: Respond to all comments on the review, whether positive or negative, in a professional and courteous manner.
6. Consider offering a discount: Consider offering the reviewer a discount to thank them for their feedback and encourage them to return.
7. Keep track of reviews: Keep track of all reviews, both positive and negative, to identify trends and areas for improvement.

Responding to negative reviews

1. Respond promptly: Respond to negative reviews as quickly as possible to show that you take customer feedback seriously.
2. Apologise: Apologise for any negative experience the customer had at your restaurant, even if you don’t agree with their review.
3. Address their concerns: Address the specific concerns the customer raised in their review and offer a solution or explanation if appropriate.
4. Take them offline: If possible, offer to take the conversation offline to discuss the issue further and resolve the problem.
5. Be professional: Respond in a professional and courteous manner, even if the review was particularly harsh or unfair.
6. Don’t be defensive: Avoid being defensive or dismissive of the customer’s concerns, as this can escalate the situation and make the customer feel unheard.
7. Learn from the experience: Use negative reviews as an opportunity to identify areas for improvement and make any necessary changes to your business practices.

Conclusion

Conclusion:

Getting your restaurant reviewed can be a great way to attract new customers, increase your visibility and improve your business practices. By creating a Google My Business listing, setting up social media accounts, reaching out to food bloggers and influencers, offering promotions, hosting events, responding to reviews and providing excellent service, you can encourage customers to leave reviews for your restaurant. However, it’s important to remember that not all reviews will be positive. By preparing for a review, following up after a review, and responding to negative reviews in a professional and courteous manner, you can turn a negative experience into a positive one. Ultimately, getting your restaurant reviewed is an important aspect of running a successful restaurant, and by taking the necessary steps to encourage and respond to reviews, you can help ensure the success of your business.

FAQs

What is the importance of restaurant reviews?

Restaurant reviews can have a significant impact on the success of your business. Positive reviews can drive new customers to your restaurant, increase your visibility in search engines, and improve your online reputation. On the other hand, negative reviews can turn potential customers away and damage your reputation.

What are some ways to get your restaurant reviewed?

Some ways to get your restaurant reviewed include creating a Google My Business listing, creating social media accounts, reaching out to food bloggers and influencers, offering promotions, hosting events, responding to reviews, and providing excellent service.

How should you respond to negative reviews?

When responding to negative reviews, it is important to respond promptly, apologize for any negative experience, address the specific concerns raised in the review, take the conversation offline when possible, and respond in a professional and courteous manner.

What should you do after a restaurant review?

After a restaurant review, you should thank the reviewer, address any concerns raised, share the review on your social media accounts and website, take action to improve your business practices, respond to any comments, and consider offering a discount to the reviewer as a thank you for their feedback.

Why is it important to prepare for a restaurant review?

Preparing for a restaurant review is importantto ensure that your restaurant is presenting its best self to the reviewer. This includes training your staff, ensuring quality food and cleanliness, reviewing policies for handling negative reviews, designating a point of contact for the reviewer, preparing a menu, gathering information about the reviewer, and scheduling the review for a time when you are fully staffed and able to provide the best possible experience for the reviewer.