Restaurant reputation management can mean the difference between a packed house or a slow Friday night with empty tables and no one on the waitlist.

Cultivating a positive online reputation helps you stand out among local competitors. Research shows that 35 percent of all search traffic is local, and those consumers are looking at a business’s digital reputation and reviews before they decide to visit.

To grow that reputation, you’ll need to perform four major actions to ensure you have a firm grip on the customer’s perception of a restaurant. They are:

• Claim listings on multiple sites
• Utilize social media platforms
• Create an amazing in-house experience
• Monitor and respond to reviews

Claim Listings on Multiple Sites

This seems like an obvious step, but it’s absolutely paramount that you claim your business listing on as many sites as possible including Google, Facebook, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. This allows you to have a larger online footprint by casting a wider net when it comes to attracting potential customers.

In some cases, you’ll even get an early head start on the competition. A 2019 report from BrandMuscle revealed that only 46 percent of its partners who were knowledgeable about marketing ROI claimed their business listings on Yelp. The percentage of business listings drops even lower on sites like Yahoo (28 percent), the Better Business Bureau (21 percent) and Foursquare (9 percent).

Claiming your listings also has the added benefit of cementing your digital authority. Customers will know that all of your online listings are officially handled by someone affiliated with the restaurant.

This means that you also need to make sure that basic information (address, phone number, hours of operation) are updated and correct across all listings. Incorrect or misleading data is more than enough to convince any consumer to look for other options.   

Utilize Social Media

Simply having listings isn’t enough to bring in new customers. You also need to engage with them through social media channels. Research shows that social media is a popular medium for 75 percent of independent restaurants and 59 percent of franchises and chain establishments.

Engagement can be as simple as responding to customers or posting compelling content through photos or videos. However, it’s important that you can interact in a way that is inviting or cordial towards current and prospective consumers.

The overall tone within social media platforms is casual so make sure that your engagement efforts match that casual level. A simple exchange between you and a consumer doesn’t even need to include any marketing about the restaurant in order for them to see the business in a positive light.

Create Amazing Dining Experiences

A glowing reputation may precede the restaurant digitally, but make sure that it matches the actual dining experience. After all, a top-notch experience will turn 60 percent of diners into loyal patrons.

You can do this with a highly motivated staff that constantly engages with customers from the moment they come through the door to when they pay their check.

You can further enhance a customer’s experience and sentiment towards the restaurant with personalized approaches. This can be as simple as remembering their name or favorite drink.

These small details have a massive impact down the road and helps create a growing batch of loyal customers who can further embellish the restaurant’s reputation with rave reviews.

Monitor and Respond to Reviews

You can only do so much to alter a restaurant’s reputation, which is why it’s important to monitor and respond to reviews to further shape your online presence.

Doing so gives you the opportunity to improve consumer perceptions of the restaurant, which drives new customer acquisition. Research shows that 55.5 percent of consumers view reviews as influential when choosing a new restaurant so make sure that they see you engaging with customers.

One of the best forms of engagement comes from responding to customer reviews, but it’s even more important to respond to negative feedback. By crafting a well-written and on-brand response, you show the reviewer and potential customers that you care about the feedback and use the pain points brought up in the review to improve the experience.

Responding to negative reviews is also enough to convince 44.6 percent of customers to visit the business. With just a few words, you can turn a negative aspect of your online brand into a positive factor that attracts more customers.

The Benefits of A Great Restaurant Reputation Management

Most searchers are looking to convert within 48 hours of their initial search, and a glowing reputation for your restaurant makes it easier for them to make a purchase decision.

Creating a positive reputation isn’t easy, especially in the competitive restaurant industry, but starting and improving on the four actions above can pay off in the long run with great reviews, more customers, and higher revenue.

A 2018 study from Tripadvisor revealed that an overwhelming 97 percent of respondents see online reputation management as important to their business.

However, many Tripadvisor business listing managers are still lost in the dark when it comes to creating an effective reputation management strategy. But all review site reputation management plans have three simple steps:

• Use Reviews to Create A Conversation
• Set and Meet Customer Expectations
• Maximize Efforts to Improve Customer Experience and Service

Use Reviews to Create A Conversation

Reviews are the most valuable asset for any listing, and you should use both positive and negative feedback to your advantage. This starts by responding to customer reviews, which is a practice that is still surprisingly rare.

Our online reviews survey revealed that a vast majority of consumers – 63.3 percent, to be exact – never get a response to their reviews. That is a prime opportunity to influence customers, and most businesses are not using it.

Responding to negative reviews in particular can help you retain customers or even alter their sentiment towards you. Research shows that 80 percent of consumers believe that a business cares about them when they respond to their reviews.

Review responses can even bring in new customers. Businesses that respond to negative feedback is enough to convince 45 percent of potential consumers to visit their locations.

Even taking the time to say a simple “Thank You” to those who leave positive reviews can bring a major reputation boost. It shows that you care about every piece of feedback, and you want every customer to come back for multiple visits.

Set and Meet Customer Expectations

An attractive Tripadvisor listing page and great reviews can easily convert prospects into customers, but make sure that their expectations of the experience are met.

A study from Salesforce revealed that more than 50 percent of consumers said that companies fell short of their expectations for great experiences. You can prevent that happening to your businesses by making sure that you set expectations at a reasonable level. Doing so means that fewer customers are caught off guard when they actually visit.

More importantly, setting realistic expectations also gives you more opportunities to go above and beyond those expectations. Customers reward that additional effort with higher ratings and reviews, which can increase the listing’s position on Tripadvisor’s Popularity Ranking system.

Maximize Efforts to Improve Experience and Service

Meeting and exceeding customer expectations is a team effort. Everyone on staff – from the newest hire to the executive team – needs to know that their efforts will impact the customer experience in some way. This creates a mindset that makes every team member feel valued and motivated to do their best for each customer.

The approach also means that customers might always pick your business because of the great experience. In fact, the Salesforce study cited above also revealed that 67 percent of consumers will pay more for a great experience.

Keep in mind that each experience isn’t perfect and that there will always be areas of improvement. With review management software, you can keep a close eye on reviews and get analytical data that can help you discover pain points in the customer experience.

You should address customers concerns by responding to customer reviews and find a way to implement changes that will enhance their next visit.

No Time Like the Present

Becoming proficient at reputation management and improving the online footprint of any Tripadvisor listing will take some time. Altering the public’s perceptions of any business requires you to first look at customer pain points and getting feedback from staff before making any major changes to actual processes.

Customers are looking at listings to make a well-informed purchase decision. With the steps above, any listing can stand out from the competition and easily persuade customers that their product or service is worth every penny.

Managing restaurant reviews?

So you should. In today’s age, diners can quickly become online critics. They’re posting online ratings and reviews of restaurants on multiple websites and making personal recommendations not only to their friends and family, but also to the whole world.

To stay competitive, you must not only be able to cook a great meal. You must also be savvy outside the kitchen and engage online with customers, protect your business reputation, and stay on top of what diners are saying about your business.

Key Stats on Restaurant Reviews

Here are some numbers that show how reviews and ratings have shaped the restaurant industry.

• A Harvard Business School study shows that a one-star Yelp rating increase can lead to a 9 percent revenue increase.
• A half-star improvement on Yelp’s 5-star rating makes it 30 to 49 percent more likely that a restaurant will sell out seats during peak hours.
• People are 25 percent more likely to consult reviews from other diners than professional critics, and more than 33 percent will not choose to eat in a restaurant with less than a 4-star rating.
• 68 percent of restaurant owners in the US actively monitor and manage reviews on multiple review sites, and 57 percent of consumers say they will avoid a business that has negative reviews and ratings.

Whether they like it or not, restaurateurs must acknowledge the impact of online restaurant reviews and play a more active role in managing these reviews.

If you’re just getting started, let the ReviewTrackers team help. Here’s a list of the restaurant review and rating websites your business should know about, with information on how to claim your business profile or listing on each of the sites.

If you’re managing multiple business locations, our restaurant review software can help you track, respond to, and generate reviews across all these websites.

Restaurant Review Sites You Should Track

Yelp

http://www.yelp.com/

Founded in October 2004 in San Francisco, California, Yelp is the go-to site for diners looking to discover great places to eat.

Sure, the site has a wide range of business categories. But food, restaurants, nightlife, and bars are the sectors where Yelp has made its name.

To claim your Yelp for Business page, just visit https://biz.yelp.com/. You can also check out the ReviewTrackers guide on claiming your Yelp page.

OpenTable

http://www.opentable.com/

A subsidiary of Priceline.com, OpenTable is one of the leading online restaurant reservations platforms today.

But it’s not just for hungry diners looking to book a table. It’s also for those who haven’t yet decided where to eat, and who’ll thus turn to restaurant reviews to guide their decision.

Every month, OpenTable diners write more than 400,000 reviews, and its network connects diners with more than 32,000 restaurants worldwide.

You can join OpenTable by visiting http://www.opentable.com/opentable-restaurant-management-system#/join_us_form. You can also read the ReviewTrackers guide on claiming your OpenTable business profile.

Google

Google is the world’s biggest search engine. It has also quickly become one of the most powerful restaurant discovery engines on the Web.

With services like Google Maps and Google My Business, Google connects millions of hungry diners with restaurants and local businesses every month. It also publishes Google restaurant reviews and ratings on its own platform.

To create or edit your restaurant listing on Google, just visit the Google My Business page at www.google.com/business. You can also check ReviewTrackers’ guide on how to claim your listing via Google My Business.

Facebook

http://facebook.com

The world’s leading social network is also home to local business reviews. In the last couple of years, Facebook has polished and enhanced its review features. Check out our guide to Facebook Reviews and Recommendations for information on how to manage your page. You can also read our more comprehensive guide to Facebook Business Manager.

TripAdvisor

http://tripadvisor.com

TripAdvisor, the world’s biggest travel site, has made an indelible mark on the hotel and hospitality industry. But it’s also making an impact on restaurants.

The site collects user-generated reviews and recommendations of restaurants in places all over the world. Tripadvisor also features multiple-category restaurant rankings as well as an online reservations platform.

To get started on claiming your restaurant’s Tripadvisor listing, go to http://www.tripadvisor.com/Owners. You can also check out this guide on how to claim your business on Tripadvisor.

Eat24 (now part of GrubHub)

http://eat24.com/

Eat24 is a leading food delivery and pickup service whose growing network covers over 30,000 restaurants in over 1,500 cities. Reviews are organized according to varying types of information like location or cuisine.

In 2017, GrubHub bought Eat24 from Yelp. However, GrubHub plans to remove the Eat24 brand in the near future. Most of the listings that are part of Eat24 will be available on GrubHub.

You can join GrubHub by visiting http://get.grubhub.com/eat24.

Gayot

http://www.gayot.com/

Named after the French food critic who coined and promoted the term “nouvelle cuisine” in the 60s, Gayot is an international and professional guide to dining, hotels, travel and lifestyle, including spas, movies and automobiles.

It has professionally written reviews of local businesses, but the site also allows consumers to leave their own reviews. Gayot evaluates restaurants on a specific rating system based on a 20-point scale. The rating is seen on every restaurant page, with comments about décor, service, ambience, and wine detailed within each review.

Unfortunately, business owners currently do not have the ability to claim their restaurant listings on Gayot. You can, however, sign up to pay for advertising in order to gain greater visibility on the site.

Zomato (previously Urbanspoon)

http://www.zomato.com

Urbanspoon, the leading local bar and restaurant guide, was acquired a few years ago by New Delhi-based restaurant portal Zomato.

The platform aggregates online restaurant reviews from professional food critics, bloggers, and diners. Zomato also offers the ability to filter searches according to restaurants’ neighborhood, cuisine type, special features (BYOB, gluten-free menu, etc.), price, and nearby locations.

If you don’t yet have a business listing on Zomato, visit: http://www.zomato.com/business#add. Or if you already have a listing and would like to claim it as your own, visit: http://www.zomato.com/business#ads.

MenuPages

http://menupages.com

MenuPages, also a GrubHub brand, is a restaurant search portal that aims to help users find places to eat. It also has a collection of thousands of restaurant menus that are regularly updated, along with reviews and recommendations from its community of users.

To get your restaurant and menu listed, just visit https://get.grubhub.com/.

Zagat

http://www.zagat.com/

One of the first-ever companies to collect restaurant reviews and ratings, Zagat – founded in 1979 – has quickly become one of the top restaurant review sites today.

The website curates the best restaurants and nightlife spots in 18 major cities worldwide. It was acquired by Google in September 2011, whereupon Zagat’s data became tightly integrated into the search engine giant’s services.

The site is best known for its 30-point rating scale. This scale covers various aspects of the dining experience, including food, décor, service, and cost.

Zagat also has a dedicated mobile app (for Apple iOS and Android) that’s integrated with Google services like Google Maps and Google Street View.

To take control of your restaurant on Zagat and manage your ratings and reviews, you have to claim your listing via Google My Business. Also, be sure to check out Zagat’s guide for business owners.

Foursquare

http://foursquare.com

Once a popular location-based check-in service, Foursquare has evolved drastically into a powerful local business discovery engine.

More than 50 million people are using Foursquare, discovering great local businesses by turning to location-based reviews and recommendations. Over 1.9 million businesses have already claimed their locations to connect with their customers.

To claim yours, visit http://business.foursquare.com/claim. Once you’ve claimed your listing, you can add your business name, category, hours of operation, photos, links, and other helpful information.

Best Practices: Restaurant Review Sites

As you claim your listing on these restaurant review sites, make sure you follow these simple tips and tricks.

Submit complete and correct business information

When you can, add as much information about your business: business name, category, phone number address, cuisine type, hours of operation, etc.

It’s extremely important that your listing contains information that is complete, correct, and up-to-date. Each site will have options for editing your listing in case you made operational changes or moved to a new address.

Manage restaurant reviews

Be active in monitoring and reading restaurant reviews posted by diners. It’s a great way to find out what they love about your business, as well as what they think you can improve on.

Also be sure to respond to reviews professionally, promptly, and politely. This shows that you’re a business owner who values customer feedback, and that your establishment takes the time to listen to what customers have to say.

Stay responsive to customer needs

Restaurateurs who keep their fingers on the pulse of evolving diner demands and expectations are the ones most likely to succeed. Carefully manage your customer feedback. Then make adjustments based on what you learn. This can spell the difference between dining experiences that delight and experiences that don’t.

The 2018 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) reported that American now spends more than half of their food budget on dining out, which puts the annual sales projection for the restaurant industry at nearly $800 billion.

If you’re not able to deliver a high level of customer satisfaction, chances are that a competitor will do so and reap the benefits.

Satisfying customers is increasingly challenging because customer have new expectations for the restaurant experience thanks to third-party platforms like Grubhub and non-traditional dining experiences like curbside pickup.

To understand the restaurant customer satisfaction, you’ll need to understand how behavior has shifted. In this guide, we’ll cover.

• How the rise of new technology shifted customer expectations
• Which consumer habits have changed
• How to remap the customer journey
• What you can do to optimize the in-house experience for the modern diner

The Rise of New Technology in Food Orders

A major force in the push for technological advancements in dining is the rise in spending power of the millennial demographic. The ASCI report shows that millennials want new ways to “order and deliver their food” and restaurants responded to that demand.

Today’s restaurateurs are adapting their business to suit younger audiences in two main ways: online ordering and automated kiosks.

Online Ordering Increases Customer Satisfaction

Easy access to a smartphone or laptop makes it even more likely for consumers to place an order online instead of calling the restaurant or making a face-to-face order.

The convenience of online ordering even pleases customers to the point that they are willing to spend more money. A 2017 survey from Statista showed 34 percent of consumers who were willing to order online spent up to $50 per order.

One restaurant chain that benefited heavily from online ordering was Red Robin. By implementing multiple changes to its service, including the addition of online ordering, the company increased its customer satisfaction points in the ACSI rankings by 8 percent, which is the highest increase of any restaurant group in the report.

Automated Kiosks Matches Millennial Preferences

Just like online ordering, automated kiosks make the ordering process easier and more convenient for consumers. Major franchises including Panera Bread, McDonald’s, and Shake Shack already have a few of these kiosks in multiple locations, and it’s becoming a popular trend.

A 2017 survey from American Express revealed that while only seven percent of restaurant owners and managers use kiosks or table-side ordering in their businesses, 39 percent of millennials prefer to go to a restaurant that uses those digital platforms.

A Change in Consumer Habits in Dining and Delivery

The shift to digital engagement also signified a change in the way people acquire meals from restaurants. Some customers still prefer to sit down and dine at a restaurant, but there are growing trends towards delivery services and curbside pickup.

Red Robin also benefited from these “off-premise” services. On top of happier customers, the ASCI reported said that the franchise gained a 40 percent increase in off-premise sales year over year in the first quarter of 2018.

Delivery Services

The idea of food delivery isn’t new, but the growth of companies moving into that industry has increased dramatically over the past few years. Groups like Grubhub, Eat24, Uber Eats, and DoorDash (in addition to traditional delivery services) make it easy for any consumer to get food from restaurants.

Delivery options also contribute to additional revenue for participating restaurants. The ACSI report showed that restaurant revenue increased by 20 percent over the past five years.

Adding these delivery options to any restaurant not only attracts new customers, but it also makes it easy to create loyal diners. Instead of going out and finding a new restaurant, these consumers will be happy to place a delivery order from your restaurant from the comfort of their own home.

Curbside Pickup Drives Increase in Customer Loyalty

In contrast to delivery, curbside pickup involves customers driving to the restaurant, but it’s different than the traditional pickup system. Instead of customers getting out of the car to get their food, a staff member will walk out of the restaurant and hand deliver the food to them.

That difference between the traditional food pickup and curbside pickup is small, but it’s enough to make an impact on customer satisfaction. In a QSR Magazine article, Curbside CEO Jaron Waldman said that curbside pickup – when paired with mobile ordering – increased customer loyalty and satisfaction. In addition, businesses that used curbside pickup had a sales increase of 45-75 percent.

Adding curbside pickup to any restaurant only increases the level of convenience for customers when they order online or through their phone. Based on Waldman’s report, customers that like the pickup experience are happy to do it again, which means more revenue and loyal customers.

Remapping the Customer Journey

In addition to these operational changes restaurants need to adapt to a new version of the customer journey. Thanks to digital channels, there are now multiple ways – such as curbside pickup and deliveries – to literally consume the food produced at most restaurants.

This means that there are now even more reasons for customers to display their displeasure of the food at the restaurant via reviews even if the fault might lie with the delivery system or other factors beyond your control.

This is where review monitoring and feedback response come into play. In addition to monitoring online listings on sites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook, you’ll need to utilize review management software to efficiently track sites like Grubhub to make sure that these customers are satisfied with the service.

You’ll also need to have a review response plan in place to address any negative reviews left on these sites. Doing so not only helps the restaurant save face and find new ways to improve the service but it also shows customers that you care about their feedback.

Optimizing the In-House Experience

The multi-channel mentality towards customer satisfaction also means that the customers’ standards for your in-house dining experience are higher. Customers who come to your restaurant are now choosing to dine in instead of choosing one of the competing options (curbside pickup, delivery, kiosk, etc.), and they expect more.

This may sound intimidating at first, but you can easily incorporate a few changes to improve the customer experience such as better engagement efforts between the staff and customers, which is something highly rated by customers when they visit a restaurant.

You can also emphasize a personalized experience for each customer. Being attentive to each customer’s needs not only impresses them, but it’s also enough to convince 95 percent of diners to become repeat customers.

Satisfied Customers Leave Reviews

If you’re able to walk the tightrope and meet these changing demands, you’ll see a payoff in the long run in the form of rave reviews.

An online reviews survey showed that 55.5 percent of customers view online reviews as influential when choosing a restaurant. By making diners happy with convenient digital engagements, you increase the chances of a customer leaving a positive review of your restaurant.

In fact, the percentage of people who leave a positive review of a restaurant increased between 2017 and 2018. Placing customer satisfaction as the main priority leads to better experiences and happy diners, who will gladly leave rave reviews that attract more customers and bring in more revenue.

Most restaurants include menus on their Yelp listings, but you can also do the same thing on your Facebook Page.

You can do this through one of two methods:

1. 1. Use a Facebook account that either manages an individual Page or through Facebook Business Manager.
   2. Uploading the menu through SinglePlatform.

Adding a menu on Facebook can keep people, who can potentially turn into actual customers, hooked on your business Page.

(To add a menu, you’ll have to have claimed your Facebook business page, so make sure to do that before starting).

Uploading, Editing, and Deleting Your Facebook Menus

Even if you don’t have a SinglePlatform account, you can still upload a PDF copy or add a link to the business’ menu directly onto the Facebook business Page. This is also the same process for editing an existing menu. To do this:

1. 1. Click on the “About” tab on the Page’s menu on the left-hand side.

1. 1. Scroll down to the “More Info” section and click the “Add Menu” link.

1. 1. You can choose to copy and a paste a link to the menu from the business’ website or upload a PDF file. The maximum PDF file size is 1 MB.
      
      

1. Click the “Confirm” button to finalize your changes.

Editing Your SinglePlatform Menu

If your menu was uploaded through SinglePlatform you will need to email fb_updates@singleplatform.com to make any edits. You’ll need to include the following information in the message:

• • The name of the business.

• • A link to the Facebook business Page.

• A link or attachment to the correct menu. The attachment must be in a .doc or PDF  format.

SinglePlatform will update the Facebook menu within two business days. Keep in mind that SinglePlatform currently supports menus in the United States and Canada only.

How to Delete A Menu from Your Facebook Page

You also have the option to remove the menu on your Facebook Page in a few and easy steps.

1. 1. Go to the “About” tab on the left-hand size menu on the Page.

1. 1. Scroll down to the “More Info” section and hover over the “See Menu” link and then click the “Edit” link.

1. Click “Do Not Show Menu” and hit “Confirm” to save your changes.
   
   

Another Way to Show Off Your Menu  

The menus are available for users on a Page’s “About” section, which are on the left-hand side menu of the Page. From there, scroll down to the “More Info” section. The menu link should be featured next to the icon of a fork and knife.

Our own 2018 Online Reviews Survey revealed that Facebook is one of the top five review sites that consumers use before they visit a business. By adding a menu to a Facebook business Page, you can give consumers more information on the listing so that they don’t have to go to another review site to make an informed decision.

Americans eat almost one-third of their caloric intake at restaurants, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That is almost twice the amount than the average intake in the 70’s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The number of meals eaten out increases significantly during the winter holiday season, starting before Thanksgiving and continuing through New Year’s celebrations. This bump in sales, when handled correctly, can do a world of good for a restaurant’s review volume, score trends, and overall social media buzz.

If you are a restaurateur looking to take advantage of this season to boost your online reputation, you still have time to roll out a plan aimed at enhancing your image. To get the most out of the season, you can’t depend exclusively on the goodwill and festive mood of your patrons; nor can you do business as usual and expect to see significant changes in your pattern of review acquisition.

To get the best and most online reviews, you would do well to focus on delivering unique, holiday-themed culinary experiences worthy of sharing or bragging about. The most bang for your buck will come from seasonal menus that cater specifically to the festivities. Let’s review best practices for holiday menu development.

Bank on Trends (#PumpkinSpiceEverything)

Get the seasonal ingredients out, and create menu items likely to trigger a share. A few minutes looking at social media will be enough to persuade you about the value of pumpkin spice when it comes to getting customers to talk about your venue. A seasonally relevant ingredient or two are great on the front-end of marketing, giving you an extra tool to invite customers to try out your venue and a fantastic way to trigger post-transactional conversations.

Many restaurants take advantage of seasonal products and menu items by sending personalized coupons or emails to their most loyal customers, and conducting follow-up internal surveys that also encourage engagement on the most popular review sites, should the customer feel inclined to do so.

Roll Out the Deals That Make Happy Hour Extra Happy

By maximizing free promotional tools available in check-in and location-based apps that also collect reviews, such as Foursquare, restaurants can turn holiday deals and special offerings into an avalanche of engagement.

Expect great success with bar items that are holiday-themed, such as cranberry bliss martinis, eggnog-based beverages, and spiked and spiced ciders. Don’t forget the visual and plating aspect of your holiday items. A beautifully garnished beverage stands a great chance of making it to Yelp and Tripadvisor galleries, or getting a shout-out via Instagram.

Offer Catering Options: Because Saving the Cook Matters

When it comes to holiday celebrations, time is of the essence. Make it easy for your customers to present a restaurant-quality meal at home, or support their cooking plans by including side dishes that will make the festivities extra special. It is not uncommon to spot reviews from customers that felt both relieved and rescued by a restaurant with special holiday offerings designed to help the home cook cheat.

Include tips on how to make the dish look homemade, and facilitate presentation by providing your customers with additional garnishes. Finally, include an extra-special note asking customers to share their holiday meal photos on relevant websites such as Facebook or Yelp. Another great advantage of catering is having the opportunity for extra revenue even when you have maximized your total number of covers.  Let us share with you other avenues to increase revenue and reviews by thinking outside the box.

Go the Extra Mile and Give Gifts That Trigger Shares

Everyone loves to feel special, and when it comes to food, treats do the trick. Consider sharing a complimentary amuse-bouche or petit dessert with your customers. Make the extra treat holiday relevant, and watch the reviews pour in. If your restaurant has a menu item that is highly mentioned on review sites, why not include a note that indicates the complimentary item is “highly rated” on OpenTable?

When It Comes to High Volume, Be a Hospitable and Cheerful Host

If your restaurant is expecting a significant traffic increase that results in people having to wait for tables, then consider setting up a small hospitality table. A little hot apple cider and homemade sweet cranberry bread will lighten up the mood and reduce the chance of grumpy customers voicing their dissatisfaction via a “ranty” review. Some restaurants have gone as far as setting up craft stations for children, specifically if they are hosting holiday meals such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Host a Party (or Many)

Hosting one or more parties facilitates engagement with your local community and allows you to feature special menus at special pricing, and even extend your business hours to those wishing to partake. You can incorporate parties in your sales and marketing strategy by offering your private dining rooms to small companies looking for a location to host the office celebration.

In addition, you can have a special party for your most loyal customers. While hosting, you can boost engagement by having photo contests and asking your customers to upload their best to social platforms. A well-executed party always results in social buzz.

Setting the stage for online social interactions is not as difficult as it seems. Deliver products and experiences that are memorable and shareable, and before you know it you will begin to see your popularity needle move up. Savvy restaurant marketers are always on the lookout for relevant opportunities to engage regulars and invite new customers to experience their products and services. Holiday-themed dining is a tried and true way to garner new business and get people talking about your venue in a positive light.

Airbnb users who are traveling can use the site or app to lease or rent short-term accommodations, including apartments, homestays, holiday cottages, hostel beds, villas, hotel rooms, even castles and treehouses.

There are nearly 5 million Airbnb listings worldwide, across 81,000 cities and 191+ countries, amounting to more than 300 million Airbnb guest arrivals all-time.

How Do Reviews for Airbnb Work?

To ensure a great experience for both hosts and guests in the Airbnb community, Airbnb asks both groups to leave online reviews of each other after every completed trip. The guest can review his or her host, and the host can review his or her guest at the end of the guest’s stay.

According to Airbnb, “having great reviews shows that you’re a trusted and respectful member of the community, and can encourage people to book your place or accept your reservation request.”

There are different types of Airbnb reviews that users can leave on the site or app.

• Public reviews: Up to 500 words that are visible to everyone in the community.
• Private feedback: A message to a host or guest to show appreciation or suggest improvements.
• Star ratings: Ratings for hosts from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) for the overall experience and for specific categories, including: overall experience, cleanliness, accuracy, value, communication, check-in, and location. You need to get 3 star ratings before your overall rating appears on your listing or profile.
• Group reviews: A public review that appears on the profiles of all of the guests on the reservation. There are no group reviews for Airbnb hosts.
• Cancellation reviews: If you cancel a reservation as a host, an automated review will be posted to your profile. These reviews are one of the host cancellation penalties and can’t be removed. But you, as a host, can write a public response to clarify why you needed to cancel.

Airbnb Reviews Examples

Here are examples of hosts reviewing a guest after their stay:

And here’s an example of Airbnb reviews of a host, as posted by their guests:

If you’re managing one or more listings on Airbnb, you can read all your Airbnb reviews by visiting your profile / clicking your profile photo on the top right corner of the site, or by navigating directly to your Airbnb Reviews page.

Airbnb Host Reviews: What You Need to Know

As a host, you can share a review of your Airbnb guests, as well as receive reviews that will appear on the listing of the place in which your guest stayed.

To encourage you to write reviews, Airbnb sends an email and notification after each trip asking you to review your guest.

You have 14 days after the guest has checked out to write a review. This review will remain confidential until your guest has posted a review of their own, or until the 14-day review period has ended. This means that host reviews written by your guests will eventually be made public, regardless of whether or not you, as a host, left a review of your guest.

As an Airbnb host, you cannot delete reviews by your guests unless these violate Airbnb’s content policy. You can report a review by going to Account, clicking on View Profile, and clicking the flag icon next to your Airbnb host review.

Responding to Airbnb Reviews

You can respond to your guest’s reviews on Airbnb. To write your review response, go to Reviews then click on Reviews about you. Then find the review that you would like to respond to. Keep in mind that you have 14 days to write a response to a review.

The Impact of Reviews on Your Superhost Status

Airbnb’s Superhost program recognizes hosts who go above and beyond for every guest. Superhosts enjoy increased visibility in search results on Airbnb, exclusive perks, insider access, and an expanded set of business tools for hosting.

The current criteria for achieving Superhost status is as follows:

• Achieve a 4.8 overall rating or higher;
• Respond within 24 hours at least 90 percent of the time;
• Host at least 10 stays a year;
• Have no cancellations and honor every reservation (unless there’s an extenuating circumstance).

As you can see above, one of the factors that Airbnb takes into account when identifying Superhosts is your overall rating. Your overall rating is the average star rating across all your Airbnb listings (if you’re managing more than one).

Remember: Airbnb reviews can help drive guests to book your place. The more and better reviews your Airbnb listings have, the more likely you are to attract guests. Successful hosts are able to make connections with guests that enhance the experience, opening the doors to better reviews, a stronger online reputation, and increased bookings.

Hotel review sites are one of the most important sources of customers in the hospitality industry. Research shows that 78 percent of consumers use online reviews to compare hotels before placing a reservation. By comparing hotels on multiple review sites, consumers get a comprehensive picture of your business.

In addition, 70 percent of customers will not even visit or stay at a hotel with negative reviews about its cleanliness.

With success heavily dependent on customer reviews, it’s important that your hotel’s online presence is visible on as many sites as possible. In addition to the top 10 review sites, we also provided a plethora of review sources that are worth monitoring.

If you want an easy way to monitor feedback from all of these sites, you should consider using hospitality review management software like ReviewTrackers.

The 10 Most Popular Hotel Review Sites

• TripAdvisor
• Expedia
• Google
• Facebook
• Booking.com
• Yelp
• Hotels.com
• Travelocity
• Foursquare
• Orbitz

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor, the “world’s largest travel site,” accounts for 25 percent of all hotel reviews from the top 10 sites. In addition to claiming your hotel on the popular website, interacting with customers can also have some financial benefits. One study showed that timely responses to customers on Tripadvisor can lead to increased revenue.
You can easily claim your business on Tripadvisor by following the steps in our guide.

Expedia Group (Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, and Travelocity)

Getting your business on Expedia opens doors for exposure on other review sites. The company is a part of the Expedia Group, which includes Hotels.com, Orbitz, and Travelocity. Combined, they account for over a quarter of reviews distributed across the top 10 websites. To get started, you can list your hotel through the Expedia Group’s Lodging Partner Services page.

Google

Listing your hotel on Google puts your establishment in front of a massive audience. Most people use Google services on a daily basis, which increases the chance for them to view your hotel. With additional improvements, you can also increase your Google ranking to make your hotel one of the top results in a local search.

Want to optimize your business listing on Google? Read our guide!

Facebook

You can leverage social media to gather important unsolicited feedback, which is crucial when you want to create a Voice of the Customer strategy. In the past, Facebook reviews used a traditional five-star rating. Recently, that system changed so that users will now provide “Yes/No” recommendations to allow for simpler, yet still detailed, feedback.

Booking.com

The Dutch-based website has over 29 million listings worldwide, and it claims that over 1.5 million rooms are reserved every day through the site. With numbers like that, it’s a no-brainer to list your hotel on the website. In addition to other hotels near your area you’ll also have to compete with other listings such as apartments, small B&Bs, and vacation homes.

Yelp

Yelp for Business, along with Facebook and Google, is attempting to be one-stop shop for business listings. Customers already use Yelp to find restaurants, so why not put your hotel on the same site? In addition to increased exposure, your Yelp listing makes it easier (and more convenient) for customers to view hotel information because it’s on the same app.

Take a look at our guide to claim your hotel on Yelp.

Foursquare

What started as a way to check-in at multiple locations evolved into a new way to leave reviews. The company’s 10-point rating system provides an added benefit to highly-rated businesses, which are listed front and center as part of the Foursquare City Guide. To join this elite group, you’ll need to increase your visibility through more reviews.

Want to put your hotel on Foursquare? Check out our handy guide!

Other Hotel Review Sites To Monitor

Even though most travelers leave their feedback on the sites above, it’s still worth it to monitor your hotel’s reputation in other locations. By posting your hotel on as many sites as possible you increase your online visibility and provide multiple ways for customers to leave feedback. Browse our guide to 54 business review sites or check out the list below for more hotel sites you can list your business on.

Hospitality-Focused Sites

• Trip.com
• Trip by Skyscanner

General Review Sites

• BBB
• Citysearch
• Consumer Affairs
• Groupon
• Insider Pages
• Judy’s Book
• Sitejabber
• Superpages
• Yahoo!
• Yellow Pages

Negative reviews are inevitable for any restaurant, but you should see it as a prime opportunity to effectively respond to the review and solve any issues raised by the reviewer.

A well-written response isn’t just for peace of mind; it’s also a way to attract more customers. Survey research shows that 44.6 percent of consumers are more likely to visit a business that responds to its negative reviews.

However, many businesses aren’t taking advantage of the practice. The same survey also showed that an alarming majority of customers – 63 percent – never get a response to their review.

So how do you write a short, yet effective response to a negative restaurant review?

It all comes down to a seven-step process based on our observations of review responses from businesses in multiple industries:

1. Address the reviewer.
2. Say “Thank You.”
3. Apologize and sympathize.
4. Take responsibility.
5. Make things right.
6. Discuss the issue further in private or offline.
7. Ask for a second chance.

The Right Way to Respond to Negative Restaurant Reviews

We’ll go into more detail below about each step in the process, and we’ll do so with the help of a real-world example from Farmhouse Chicago. With each step, we will underline a specific part of the review that meets our criteria for a great review response.

Address the Reviewer

Start your response on the right foot with a personalized address, which can be as simple as greeting the reviewer by their first name. You should try to avoid using the generic “Guest” or even “Sir/Madam” greeting because it doesn’t adequately show that you value the customer’s time or feedback.

You can further personalize the response by mentioning specific details about the reviewer’s experience. What did they eat at the restaurant? Were they seated in a specific location? Was there an event going on during their visit? These are all details worth pointing out to show that your response isn’t generic and solely directed at their review.

Say “Thank You”

Those two words carry plenty of weight especially when responding to restaurant reviews. Most customers don’t bother to leave a review after a bad experience. However, the reviewer in our example took valuable time out of their busy day to write a detailed account of their experience.

Make sure you thank the reviewer not only for their review but for their patronage. They made a decision to eat at your restaurant and were let down by any number of factors in the experience.

Saying “thank you” also shows that you welcome every piece feedback from future patrons regardless of its sentiment, which should help in your review generation efforts.

Apologize and Sympathize

Showing gratitude isn’t enough. Customers want to hear an apology and know that their experience was below the usual standards of the restaurant.

Apologizing also “humanizes” the restaurant. No one wants to eat at a restaurant that is too prideful or refuses to accept its shortcomings. People (and restaurants) make mistakes, and it’s important to own up to them. Speaking of which…

Take Responsibility

Every restaurant tries to meet the same standard of service and experience with each customer, but that can be a difficult task and mistakes are inevitable. When a reviewer notes it in their review, make sure that you acknowledge and take responsibility for the lapse in quality.

Internally, it’s also important that you note the issue and work with other staff to find a solution so that it doesn’t happen again. Multiple reviews that mention the same issue tells potential customers that you’re not using online reviews to spot crucial pain points in the experience.  

Make Things Right

Customers write reviews for the sake of others so use it to your advantage when writing a response. After owning up to the issue, make sure that you provide some details on current efforts to make improvements or significant changes to the experience.

If you don’t have any detailed plans in the works, you can always mention that you are looking into ways to improve the customer experience. Just make sure that you act on it and not just hand out empty promises, which can break the trust between a business and its customers.

Discuss the Issue Further in Private or Offline

Responses should be short and to the point, but there’s always room for more discussion. Provide an email address or other forms of contact information to encourage a private discussion with the reviewer.

This shows that you value each piece of feedback to the point that you’re willing to spend as much time as necessary with each customer to resolve their complaints.

Making the conversation private can also prevent the situation from escalating out of your control on a public forum like Google My Business or Yelp. This will only result in a worse outlook for any business that relies on reviews for additional customers.

Ask for a Second Chance

Just because someone left a negative review doesn’t automatically mean they are a lost cause. After apologizing, owning up to the issue, and highlighting potential improvements to the experience, you can invite the customer back to see the changes.

Doing so shows even more commitment to an amazing experience for every customer whether they are a first-time visitor or a recurring patron. If successful, a second chance can be the perfect opportunity to turn naysayers into promoters who can update their review of the restaurant after the new experience.

Optimizing Responses to Negative Restaurant Reviews

When done correctly, a review response shows value and care to each customer. Survey data showed that 80 percent of consumers believe that a business cares about them when it responds to their reviews so always think about how your responses build trust and place value in each customer.

A well-crafted review response also takes care of two birds with one stone. On one hand, your response can help the restaurant save face with the reviewer who wrote the negative review. On the other hand, the response should also show potential customers your commitment to improving the experience and the vital role that customer reviews play in that process.