Your restaurant’s reputation impacts its success. A good reputation results in more reservations and higher spending by customers. Maintaining a positive online presence is key to keeping your business’ reputation strong. A restaurant with an excellent reputation is more likely to get repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations. A poor reputation can quickly lead to a decline in business.
What is Restaurant’s Reputation?
A restaurant’s reputation is the perception that people have of your business. It can be based on the quality of the food, the service, the overall experience, and most importantly, online reviews.
Your business’ reputation has a direct impact on your bottom line. Studies have shown that restaurants with excellent ratings see an average 18% uplift in sales. Furthermore, customers are willing to spend 31% more at businesses with great reviews.
With so many restaurant options available, diners can be picky about where they choose to eat and a bad review can deter someone from even giving your restaurant a chance. Therefore, in today’s competitive landscape, it is more important than ever to have a strong reputation.
How to Improve Your Restaurant’s Reputation?
If you’re running a restaurant, then your reputation is key. After all, it is what draws people in and keeps them coming back. Unfortunately, it can be tough to maintain a good reputation – especially if you’re not sure what you’re doing. Here are a few tips to help improve your restaurant’s online reputation:
1. Manage your online presence
One of the most important, yet challenging aspects of maintaining and improving your online reputation is managing your online presence. Customers review your restaurant on Google, Yell, and Facebook, so you need to ensure you have claimed the listings and keep them updated.
2. Encourage positive reviews
A great way to boost your restaurant’s online reputation is to reach out to your existing customers and ask for their reviews. You can do this by sending a follow-up email or message after someone has dined at your restaurant, thanking them for their business, and asking if they enjoyed their experience. When you ask for a testimonial, make sure you let them know how much a positive review can help other customers find your business and help your restaurant.
3. Handle negative reviews
It’s inevitable that your restaurant will receive negative reviews, but it is important to remember that how you handle them is just as important as positive testimonials. Responding to negative reviews and comments improves your reputation, as it shows your visitors and potential customers that you care what they have to say.
For example, 44.6% of customers said that seeing a customer respond to negative reviews is enough to convince them to choose the business and 53% of consumers expect businesses to respond to negative reviews within a week. When responding to a negative review, always stay positive and professional. Thank the customer for their feedback and offer to make things right. This shows that you’re willing to listen to criticism and take responsibility for your restaurant’s mistakes. One of the most important things to remember is never to reply in a way that does not resolve or address the issues raised and try to take the conversation offline, so you can talk directly to your customer about the problem.
4. Share the positives on social media
Online reviews are a great marketing tool. Your diners will trust other customers over you, which is why it’s important to share social proof on your social media channels. 72% of customers say positive reviews make them trust a business more, which is why sharing positive customer reviews helps you build trust with your customers.
Sharing the reviews also shows that you’re proud of the great experience your customers had at your restaurant.
5. Monitor your brand mentions
One of the best ways your business can stay on top of what people are saying about your business is to monitor your online presence. You can set up a Google Alert or use other brand monitoring tools, and monitor your social media platforms to find out what your customers are saying about you. What’s more, this helps you respond to any brand mentions which in turn helps build trust and authority in the local restaurant scene.
6. Respond to all the reviews
Customers who post positive reviews about your business are more likely to come back and visit your restaurant again and again. This is why you need to acknowledge these reviews and thank them. You need to respond to the reviews quickly, as this shows you care what your customers and use this opportunity to get to know them better and find out what they like about your restaurant.
What are the Consequences of Having a Bad Restaurant’s Reputation
Having a bad restaurant reputation can have serious consequences. A restaurant with a bad reputation may struggle to attract new customers and may experience a decline in sales. It may also be difficult to attract talented employees, and the restaurant may be forced to close its doors.
Once a restaurant gains a bad reputation, it can be hard to overcome. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a good reputation if you want your restaurant to keep having customers. Reputation management takes hard work and dedication, but it is worth it in the end.
Final Thoughts
Your restaurant’s reputation is everything – a good reputation can bring in more customers and result in higher sales, while a bad reputation can drive customers away and cause financial losses. This is why you need an actionable reputation management plan
Don’t let a bad reputation ruin your restaurant. Work to build a good reputation, and you’ll reap the rewards.
It isn’t always easy to manage your reputation on your own. Think about using an expert reputation management firm like We Are Innovative to help you combat the damaging public image and negative reviews that dissatisfied customers have posted on the internet.