Restaurant Reputation Management Tips for Managers & Owners

It All Starts with a Great Customer Experience

A great reputation starts with a great customer experience. Serving meals that make people want to come back over and over is the best possible type of reputation management. Happy customers won’t be able to help but tell others about their visit.

So, what elements are needed for a great experience? Consider the following points –.

• Consistent food quality. Diners don’t like surprises. When someone visits your restaurant, they should know that the food is going to be just as good this time as it was last time - and will be the next time. Developing a loyal following starts with consistency.
• Friendly service. What’s the vibe like in your restaurant? The experience should be relaxing and enjoyable, and the staff should be friendly and attentive.
• Timely service. Your great work on the first two points can be wasted if the food takes too long to get to the table. Bad reviews will be soon to follow if the service is slow night after night.

Managing Online Reviews Effectively is Key

Reviews are everywhere. All types of businesses are reviewed online, and restaurants are at the top of the list. It can feel unfair when a cranky customer leaves a bad review for no reason, but there are opportunities waiting here if you know how to play the game.

To take control, start by always encouraging customers to leave reviews after a meal. Simply having the waitstaff ask for reviews can go a long way toward building up your profile – and, if you are offering great service, most of those reviews will be positive.

We know what you are thinking - even with great service, some of the reviews are going to be bad. Customers aren’t always reasonable. Why should someone be able to harm our reputation for no reason at all?

You’re right. But you don’t have to throw up your hands and give in. For starters, the first rule is to never argue publicly over a bad review. If potential customers see you arguing in reviews with other customers, they might come away with a bad impression and decide not to give you a chance.

Instead, engage politely with negative reviews on the platform and offer to resolve the issue in private. This will make you look like an attentive, concerned owner or manager, and will reflect well on your customer service.

You can also learn from negative reviews. If something about your restaurant causes one complaint after the next, take those reviews to heart and make changes to fix the problem.

Lean on the Power of Social Media Marketing

Social media is a powerful tool. You don’t have to make social channels the center of your marketing plan, but they shouldn’t be ignored, either. When your business is on social, you can interact with customers and build strong relationships.

Want to try social media marketing without wasting hours of valuable time? Start by picking just two or three platforms to use - there is no reason to be on all of them. Then, post regularly using lots of images to present your food and drinks to the audience. If you can add in some contests or other engaging content, you’ll see your follower count grow quickly.

Uphold the Highest of Safety Standards in Your Restaurant

Every restaurant needs to be a safe place for diners to eat. Everything else will go out the window if your food isn’t safe to consume night after night..

Obviously, passing inspections with flying colors is a great place to start. The health department will be posting the results of your inspections, so make sure those are handled properly, and everything is in order in the kitchen and beyond.

Also, keep up with food handlers training requirements to make sure everyone on the team is certified and educated on how to properly serve food to the public. At Responsible Training, we have all of the courses you’ll need to keep your people current on their certifications, including food manager training and many others.

Properly Manage the Rare Crisis

There are some nights in the restaurant business when everything goes wrong. It’s not you - it’s just how the industry works. No one has fun when a crisis breaks out and things go sideways, but it doesn’t have to sink your reputation.

Good crisis management starts with standing up to the issue, acknowledging it, and finding a solution. Depending on the problem, you might need to offer a refund for a meal or event, or you may simply need to apologize.

Even if you don’t think the restaurant was at fault, it’s best to step up and own the situation. Turn a negative into a positive by taking care of your customers first and foremost. In the end, a bad night at work could end up being something that earns you respect and trust.

Use the Right Tools to Elevate Your Restaurant’s Reputation

A great reputation can take your restaurant a long way. This is the thing that keeps your tables full and a line out the door on a Saturday night. A dedicated team, a tasty menu, and the right tools all need to come together to make your establishment a valuable part of the community.

Training Can Help

We think of training as one of the tools you should have in your reputation management tool belt. When you work with a training and compliance vendor with a range of training and compliance solutions, you can make sure all of your people are up to date on everything they need to safely serve customers. For instance, our selection of courses includes options customized to a number of different states. If you are in Texas, for example, you can utilize our food handlers course, food manager certification, and TABC course to be compliant as soon as possible.