Think before you leave that one-star restaurant review
The internet gives us consumers powerful tools to communicate our experiences at restaurants, hotels, retail, etc. Today, I am asking all my readers to make sure you use this tool thoughtfully, not merely to “burn” a business.
Yelp and Google are not there as your personal weapons to “show them who’s boss” and that you won’t be ignored. Your one-star reviews may make you feel better, but they have a real effect on these businesses and their staffs. Here are some recent reviews I found that I thought were unfair. If you wrote one of these, do better.
‘It’s too nice’
The reviewer talked about how this new restaurant was “too expensive, too snooty and was not worth going into.” Based on this “experience,” they left a one-star review.
The owner of the restaurant was able to have a conversation with this reviewer, only to find out that they never actually went into the restaurant, never talked to any of the staff or guests, and never even saw the menu! They pulled into the parking lot, looked at the beautiful building, decided that it “looked too fancy” and went elsewhere.
The reality is that the restaurant is geared toward families with a wide-ranging menu. How is this fair?
Although the owners conveyed this information to the sites where the review was posted, it was not taken down. The restaurant had to live with one star, which brought down their scores as well as potentially kept people from coming in.
‘I want my dinner now!’
A self-described “sophisticated” diner complained in another one-star review that he and his six guests showed up at this city’s finest fine-dining restaurant at 5:30 on a Saturday night and wanted to be seated “right now!”
The host informed the guest that the earliest seating available for a party of seven was 8:30 p.m. The guest saw that many tables were open and insisted on getting one. Again, the host explained that all the tables were reserved and, while the dining room looked empty at this time, it would be full within the hour.
If you don’t want it, don’t order It
A pizza restaurant got a one-star review because the guest complained that the pizza was only topped with fresh tomatoes, basil and buffalo mozzarella. They said they had ordered the margarita pizza and, while it came to the table exactly as described, “we thought it would be something different.” Because they got exactly what they ordered, they only gave it a one-star review.
Another person ordered an entrée described as a marriage of shrimp and chicken, and then gave a one-star review because they had a shellfish allergy. What the reviewer forgot to say was that she did not mention this to the server because the “dish sounded great.” I don’t believe the restaurant offers mind reading as part of their service.
Think before you review
A restaurant review on social media should do two things: Let others know what you experienced and tell the restaurant how they did. Above all, it should be fair and accurate, and not colored by your own errors and unreasonable expectations. Think of this in terms of the old “Dragnet” TV show: “Just the facts.”
I recommend not writing your review while you are still at the restaurant, or even on the same day. Take the time to think about the entire experience and focus on the issue. If the issue was service, then say that and don’t characterize employees as stupid or incompetent.
The least you can do, critique the right business
A reviewer gave a one-star review because the restaurant was “stingy on the pizza toppings and the service was slow.” The response to the reviewer is classic: “Jean, we are an animal rehoming center and do not serve pizza at our premises.”
Be careful in what you write. Your reviews have real consequences for real people. And sometimes animals.
• Izzy Kharasch is the founder of Hospitality Works, a consulting firm that has worked with 700+ restaurants and small businesses nationwide. He is offering Daily Herald restaurant owners a free consultation by contacting him at Izzy@HospitalityWorks.com.