It’s really no question. From a marketing and public relations perspective, it’s great to have location-based websites (Yelp, Foursquare, Google) offer businesses a space for contact information, images, and reviews. In the world of social media marketing, getting that personal recommendation from a neighbor or friend is best for business. Let’s face it—if you’ve got that personal (trusted!) stamp of approval, you’re golden.
But what happens when you receive a bad review? Or better yet, what happens when you’ve visited a restaurant and had a bad experience? What to do?
Nobody Put Restaurants in a Corner… Nobody
Whether you are using social media for personal or professional use, you have to use it wisely. The minds behind these sites are slicker by the minute (No, Facebook, I will NOT download your messenger that gives you access to my photos). And if you don’t stay educated on the changes, it can really work against you.
While you may realize the Yelp is a tool you can use to report on services you receive at the nail salon, spa or restaurant, what you may not realize is how this website works from the business point of view. Yelp salespeople call these local businesses on a weekly (if not daily) basis to offer their “services.” You get some advertising here, some advertising there, and oh, did I mention you can respond to reviewers? Oh, did I also mention you can also control who sees those bad reviews? Negative comments can disappear in moment, burying them in cyberspace where less eyes can see them. While big budget restaurants can afford this disappearing act, those local eateries who may not be social media savvy or have big marketing budget are out of luck. Interesting…
{IntoxiKate Tip!}
If you are interested in learning about the best places to eat, try looking up the food bloggers in the area. IntoxiKate, FoodiePleasure, DeeCuisine, SmallBites and Westchester Magazine‘s Eat & Drink Blog all offer information and reviews from savvy foodies! Most bloggers will also respond to inquiries via Twitter. I’ve done this often when looking for restaurants while traveling!
Restaurants Behaving Badly
If you are a Facebook fan of your favorite restaurant, you’ve most likely caught a glimpse of how they respond to negative reviews. While some managers poke fun of their reviews and post “come taste the worst sandwich one Yelp reviewer ever ate,” others have taken a much more negative route. Recently I received tweets and emails from a local diner who posted a pretty fair review of a restaurant on Yelp. The manager responded to her directly, providing a less than courteous response that lacked serious customer service skills. That’s not going to be great for business. (Yelp has since taken both comments down and one reviewer states the restaurant is under new management.)
Diners Behaving Badly
On the other hand, some diners have gotten out of control on Yelp. There’s currently a group of six traveling from restaurant to restaurant in NYC, demanding free meals, bottles of wine, and more. If they don’t get what they want, they threaten to each write a bad review on the site, essentially forcing the restaurant into giving them what they want. It’s a hostage situation. No buneo.
Want To Share a Review?
- Join the IntoxiKate Foodie Nation on Facebook. This group page allows you to share photos and reviews on your latest dining experience in Westchester.
- Remember to share your POSITIVE experience. We’re more inclined to share a bad experience. Make sure to balance the yin to that yang and recommend a restaurant you loved to friends.
- Try to be fair. Is it your first time visiting the restaurant? Did the eatery just open? Try not to judge a restaurant on one experience and give that eatery a second try.
