How to Respond to Online Complaints for Restaurants and Bars

As the lines between our personal and professional lives continue to blur thanks to constant digital connectivity, restaurants and bars must thoughtfully manage their online presence. With nearly 70% of consumers researching local businesses online before their visit, first impressions spread easily across various virtual channels.

Here are some best practices for skillfully addressing customer complaints that inevitably arise in online spaces to prevent minor issues from spiraling and nurture long-term customer relationships.

Scenario 1: Customer Service Issues

"The bartender was exceptionally rude when I tried to change my drink order."

If the rude behavior is confirmed:

"Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We always want our guests to have an enjoyable experience, so we took your comments very seriously.

We spoke with the bartender in question and used this as a coaching opportunity to reinforce our service standards of courtesy and respect toward every customer. You should always feel welcomed and appreciated when you visit us.

As a gesture of goodwill, we'd be happy to provide you with a [complimentary item/discount] on your next visit. Please reach out to us at [business email/phone] so we can make this right.

We hope you'll give us another chance to provide you with the exceptional experience you deserve."

If the rude behavior cannot be confirmed:

"Thank you for reaching out and sharing your perspective on your recent visit. Delivering friendly, attentive service is very important to us, so we reviewed your feedback closely.

While we were unable to fully substantiate the particular incident you described, it was a good reminder for our team to always greet guests with a warm welcome and handle any requests with patience and politeness.

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know about your experience. It is feedback like yours that allows us to continually improve. We hope you'll visit us again soon."

Scenario 2: Food Preferences

"The chicken had no flavor. Not worth the price."

Potential Response:

"Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent dining experience with us. We're sorry to hear that it did not meet your expectations.

Customer satisfaction is extremely important to us. Your comments have been noted and will help guide improvements to ensure our menu offerings are consistently delicious and properly valued.

We appreciate you taking the time to provide this valuable feedback. It allows us to identify areas where we can enhance our guests' experiences further. We hope you'll give us another opportunity to provide you with the exceptional dining experience you deserve.

Thank you again for your patronage."

Scenario 3: Order Fulfillment

"My delivery order arrived lukewarm after a long wait. Not happy."

If it's genuinely a mistake from our side:

"Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We are truly sorry to hear that your delivery order arrived lukewarm after an unreasonably long wait time. This is not up to our usual standards of service.

We have addressed this incident with our kitchen and delivery teams to reinforce our procedures for ensuring food quality and prompt delivery times. Please know that this experience is not reflective of the high level of service we aim to provide.

Thank you again for your feedback, which allows us to improve our operations. We hope to have another opportunity to serve you a fresh, hot meal delivered right on time."

If it's a third party delivery app issue:

"Thank you for making us aware of the poor experience with your recent delivery order. We aim to have all orders delivered hot and fresh, so we regret to hear yours arrived lukewarm after a long delay.

After reviewing the situation, it appears there may have been an issue on the part of the third-party delivery service that hindered the timely transport of your order. We will be following up with them directly to prevent such lapses in the future.

While delivery hiccups are out of our immediate control, we still value your feedback, as it allows us to improve our partnership with these services. We hope to have another opportunity to serve you a fresh, hot meal delivered right on time."

Scenario 4: Health and Safety

"I got food poisoning after dining here last week."

[Note: Reports of potential food poisoning require an immediate and thorough investigation to prevent any further incidents and mitigate risk. This should be treated as a high priority.]

Potential Response:

"Thank you for bringing this extremely concerning matter to our attention. Food safety is of the utmost importance to us, and any report of food-borne illness is taken incredibly seriously.

At this time, we would like to look into your experience more comprehensively. We invite you to contact us directly at [phone/email] so we can gather more details, investigate thoroughly, and take any necessary actions immediately.

Your feedback helps us reinforce our stringent food preparation and safety protocols. We appreciate you making us aware of this issue and look forward to resolving it promptly."

With care, responsiveness builds relationships even amid mistakes while proactively addressing issues through multi-channel listening systems prevents crises from reviews alone.

While reviews represent opportunities for growth, left unaddressed they transform minor issues into reputational risks through lost patrons and credibility. With diligence and nuanced listening, restaurants can resolve complaints, reconnect with critics, and reinforce commitment to quality through virtual channels. Handled effectively, customer feedback cultivation relates directly to preventing and weathering reputational crises that can surface through online mediums.

The weekly newsletter Food & Beverage Weekly is created and distributed by all-in-one restaurant marketing consultancy, Monogic (Hong Kong & Singapore) , to explore the exciting and ever-changing world of the food and beverage industry.