The worst thing you can do is get defensive. Regardless of whether you did something wrong or not, recognize that the \u201cworld\u201d is watching.<\/p>\n
If your blood pressure shoots through the roof when you come across someone bad-mouthing your establishments, the first thing to do is step away from the keyboard. You don\u2019t have to respond right away. Wait until cooler heads prevail and come back to it. You have been given a chance to make yourself look good; don\u2019t blow it.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Check on whether members of your staff, or you, actually did something wrong. Self-reflection is critical at this juncture. A bad review can be an opportunity for growth and to identify ways that you or your employees may be driving customers away.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t waste the opportunity to identify these patterns and address them! If the reviewer is correct, even if just a little bit \u2013 own it. Your review should be apologetic: let them know you are rectifying the situation and that you appreciate them bringing it to your attention.<\/p>\n There is nothing more disarming than taking accountability and promising to do better.<\/p>\n \u2013 Sam Lamba, CEO of Gong Cha USA<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\r\n <\/div> Try Linga PRO for 14 days. No credit card required.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\n Contrary to the popular saying, the customer is <\/a>not <\/em><\/a>always right.<\/a><\/p>\n In fact, sometimes the customer is just flat out wrong\u2014and unpleasant. However, the internet is not the right place to have this fight. If the reviewer at issue was particularly heinous, don\u2019t fall on your sword but don\u2019t become overly defensive or aggressive either. Instead, empathize and stay professional.<\/p>\n For example, you could say, \u201cWe are sorry you did not enjoy your time at our establishment. We strive to deliver great food and best-in-class service but sometimes those are not enough. We wish you the very best and hope you decide to give us a second chance.\u201d<\/p>\n While those customers may not come back\u2014and maybe you don\u2019t want a rude customer <\/a>to come back\u2014other readers won\u2019t have a reason to doubt your sincerity and may question the reviewer\u2019s accuracy. That is the best you can hope for.<\/p>\n While you don\u2019t want to incentivize people to leave bad reviews in the hope they will get a freebie, sometimes it makes sense to offer the unhappy customer an opportunity to get in contact with you so you can \u201cmake it right.\u201d<\/p>\n Offer a dessert, or a glass of wine, or another token of appreciation if they do decide to come back.<\/p>\n People very often just want to feel like they\u2019ve been heard and that someone cared about their experience. If you can give someone that for the price of two ice cream scoops\u2014and hopefully a positive follow up review\u2014it will be worth the investment.<\/p>\n Bad reviews are an opportunity to both identify areas of weakness within your organization, improve your customer experience<\/a>, and come out on top by being pleasant and attentive to your diners\u2019 needs. A potential patron will be far more impressed by your ability to address a difficult situation than your ability to win a \u201ccomment war\u201d online. Take the high road; you will be better for it.<\/p>\n Are you interested in learning more about online reviews from the experts? Check out RepCheckup.com<\/a> for more!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While bad reviews are not as inevitable as death and taxes, they indeed land somewhere in the top ten things a business will have to face. Restaurants are no different. … <\/p>\nTip No. 1: The \u201cMea Culpa\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nWatch the Quick 90-second Demo video<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
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<\/center>\r\n\t\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t\tLinga has helped us track our franchise sales by providing a single platform that is easy to manage and access remotely.<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\t\t\t
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Tip No. 2: The \u201cSorry (Not Sorry)\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Tip No. 3: Make Amends<\/h3>\n