How do you view online ratings for restaurants?

July 9, 2010 | Comments | Social Media Marketing Strategy

I have recently changed the way I view online ratings of restaurants. In the past, I would Google a restaurant or check it out on Yelp to see what customers were saying about it and form an opinion based on their advice. If the restaurant received poor ratings I wouldn’t bother wasting my time going there. I decided I will no longer depend on Google, Yelp, Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media platforms to decide if I should give the place a chance. Here is my logic…

Recently I asked my sister to come out to dinner with me to a new Mexican restaurant that opened in town. I had been there four times. She hadn’t been there at all. Her response was, “I refuse to go there.” When I asked her what her reasoning was she exclaimed, “I Googled them and read how their service is awful, how expensive their food is, and how they don’t give you much food at all!” This certainly didn’t sound like the restaurant I had become a loyal customer of. After my first visit I remember telling all of my friends how the prices were very reasonable for the amount of food they gave and how the staff was very friendly and responsive to my needs. The owner had even come up to my friend and I and asked us what kind of entertainment we would like to see him bring in. My point is that I had visited several times, had a great experience, and was spreading the word about the place. Someone else didn’t share the same opinion, which is fine, but because of reasons unknown, they felt the need to write things online for others to view, which in turn hurt the image of the restaurant. Maybe the portion of food they received was small because it was an appetizer. Is it possible they went to the restaurant on a Saturday night and it was really busy, just like every other restaurant is? Perhaps that is why the service was “awful.”

I don’t know what the story behind the customer’s poor experience was, but why wouldn’t they talk to the manager or owner about it? Wouldn’t you feel better helping them out as opposed to damaging their name? keep this post in mind next time you are reading an online review for anything.

-Lauren

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