Avoid Negative Customer Reviews on Social Media & Review Sites (Tip 2 of 5)

What is the ONE thing businesses owners, executives and marketers hate the most? Negative customer feedback! But let’s take it up a notch…it’s the complaints that are broadcast on social media channels and review sites, such as Yelp, Twitter, Facebook, Urban Spoon... just to name a few. In the restaurant and food service business today, there is as much room for poor service and disgruntled customers as there is for huge margins – which means BARELY any room!

Without the necessary customer engagement strategies and systems in place, your business could potentially kick off 2012 with negative feedback on the top of review and social media sites… as well as on customers’ minds – most of which can be AVOIDED!

Over the next 5 week’s I’ll be sharing 1 practical tip – each week – to help your organization avoid most of the avoidable, sometimes brutal reviews!

TIP 2: Don’t Ignore Complaints – Not Even the Smallest Ones

Listen empathetically and, if needed, offer ways to make it right with your guests. If a customer is not pleased with their meal, or if their guest-experience isn’t on par with what’s expected from your restaurant, you can choose to re-make, substitute freely, partially or fully comp their meal. Do not allow them to step outside the door UNTIL they are happy or you have corrected the error if possible. Sometimes it’s unavoidable and you can’t please everyone…and you will have to let Mr. Angry Customer walk out the door. BUT make every attempt to right the wrong before the unhappy customer walks away and tweets nasty messages to their 1,000 plus friends. A dissatisfied consumer will tell between 9 and 15 people about their experience. About 13% of dissatisfied customers tell more than 20 people.

What if your negative guest feedback was amplified by someone who has 680 followers on Twitter, 1273 Facebook friends, and 45% of all their followers and friends fall within your target audience? This means that your customer’s poor rating of your business is most likely to have a direct impact on the buying decisions of 878 more people! Make sure you have a manager/supervisor on the floor before it escalates to “I want to see your manager RIGHT NOW!” Teach your employees about the chain of command (again, that goes back to having a customer service policy in place and why communication with staff is VERY important).

Last Weeks' Tips

TIP 1: Have a Customer Service Policy Plan in Place (read more)

About Adapt Marketing & Design
Through effective, engaging and balanced marketing strategies we have helped our clients increase annual sales by as much as 24% - in a recession!
Adapt Marketing & Design is an internet marketing and creative services agency that delivers results to restaurant, food service, and hospitality technology companies. We develop and incorporate strategic, creative, interactive, social media and mobile marketing services to  expose your  brand, improve customer engagement, and enhance your position in the marketplace – ultimately, growing your  bottom-line. View our marketing resources in the MODsocket Restaurant library. Learn more about us at www.adaptorelse.com.