The power of online food reviews: Can negative reviews damage an F&B business?

But Mr Tan mentioned the “unfair” factor about Google reviews is that anybody can create an account to depart a evaluate, even when they haven't visited the restaurant. 

“I feel that’s really unfair. When you try to contact Google about this, they would just say it doesn’t go against their policies and they’d just leave the reviews there.” 

Google instructed CNA that it has a reviews coverage, and if customers report {that a} evaluate flouts the coverage, it might be eliminated. But the tech large additionally mentioned it “doesn't get involved when businesses and customers disagree about facts”.

“Users should only report reviews that violate Google's content policies and not report a review just because he or she disagrees with it or doesn't like it,” it mentioned. 

REVIEWS "QUITE IMPORTANT" FOR FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES

Negative reviews additionally impression frontline F&B staff, for whom reviews make up half of their KPIs (key efficiency indicators). 

Mr Darien Chow, a former assistant restaurant supervisor at a resort (which he declined to call), cited the instance of journey reviews web site TripAdvisor. 

“Customers say, if you don’t give me what I want, I’ll write on TripAdvisor; if you don’t give me a table, I’ll write on TripAdvisor,” he mentioned. 

"You cannot satisfy everyone, you can just do your best."

To make up for a buyer’s dangerous expertise, Mr Chow, 30, used to achieve out to them personally, giving them his e-mail or cellular quantity. He'd inform them that they may contact him personally, and he’d guarantee they acquired “the best experience possible” on their subsequent go to.  

“Online reviews are quite important. They’re actually part of our KPIs. Back then, the management used that to motivate our staff to do better, such as by seeing how many good comments you get on TripAdvisor,” he mentioned.

“(Customers) may write that you provide good service throughout their experience, then (it will make you) go the extra mile to make sure they know your name. That also helps us keep tabs on ourselves to provide good service.” 

Mr Chow recalled pals within the business who went for job interviews at eating places, the place the final supervisor pulled up TripAdvisor to see in the event that they acquired constructive reviews about their customer support on the positioning. 

“It’s like your online portfolio,” he mentioned. 

Getting staff concerned in acquiring constructive reviews from clients is a method that an F&B enterprise can get well from negative feedback, famous Ms Cho Pei Lin, 43, managing director of public relations agency APRW.

After all, whereas a restaurant can write to, say, Google, to take away negative reviews, it may be tough to anticipate how lengthy these corporations would take to reply, she added.

In the meantime, F&B companies can encourage “genuine customers” to depart a constructive evaluate instantly. 

“It is not something new. Restaurants have been doing that. Hotels, especially. They would take special effort to say, ‘Please leave me a review, and if you can, put my name there,’” she mentioned. 

“Because if the staff’s name is listed in the reviews they get, it reflects in their performance appraisal, and possibly has an impact on their bonus.”