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Looking for a restaurant? Google reviews put you on the right track!

If you’re searching for something, you ask Google. This trend has also spilled over into the hospitality industry. More and more guests are choosing restaurants based on Google reviews. This raises questions for restaurateurs: How do I get reviews? How do I react to reviews? What do I learn from them?

Natalia and Alexander Zaugg - together they founded the Swiss company Respondelligent in 2017, which specialises in dealing with online reviews.
Natalia and Alexander Zaugg - together they founded the Swiss company Respondelligent in 2017, which specialises in dealing with online reviews.
Google reviews - how guests choose restaurants

What´s it all about?

  • Why are Google reviews so important for restaurateurs?
  • How do restaurateurs get guest reviews?
  • How do restaurateurs react constructively to reviews?
  • What can restaurateurs learn from Google reviews?

Responding to Google reviews promptly, objectively and confidently

Natalia recommends that restaurateurs respond objectively and confidently, not emotionally, within three days. ‘By this, I mean that restaurateurs should stand by their restaurant and its concept, rather than apologising for every critical comment’, she adds. ‘If the food was cold or the music too loud, then an apology makes sense. But not if a guest didn’t like a particular spice or the choice of music.’
Responding to Google reviews takes time and effort. Artificial intelligence (AI) can provide significant assistance to restaurateurs, according to Alexander’s experience. Results of the Local Consumer Review Survey 2024 conducted by Brightlocal indicated that people often actually prefer AI-generated answers over those given by humans. ‘We recommend using AI only for reviews that are straightforward to answer. A well-trained AI can offer a great selection of suggestions. However, the restaurateur should always have the final say and personally write the responses to specific critical reviews’, recommends Alexander.

Motivate: getting restaurant reviews

Google reviews enhance the reach and visibility of restaurants. And, more importantly, they are an increasingly important decision-making criterion when it comes to choosing a restaurant. But how do restaurateurs get reviews? According to Natalia, ‘The best way is to approach guests in the restaurant and ask them to review their visit.’ The better the staff are trained in communication, the more likely guests are to write a review. ‘Be friendly and polite when you ask guests and highlight how important their review is for the business’, recommends Natalia. In her experience, satisfied guests who plan to return are happy to leave a review, but it doesn’t always occur to them. ‘They have to be encouraged.’ Alternatively, this can be done online. ‘Restaurateurs have the contact details of guests who booked a table online. Restaurateurs can send a thank-you email along with a request for feedback, providing a QR code or a link to the review platform,’ she explains. QR codes and links to review platforms can also be included on menus, invoices, notice board, in newsletters or on social media.

Reward: reward systems skew the reviews

Rewards are another way of generating reviews. However, strictly speaking this violates the guidelines of the review platforms. The founders of Respondelligent advise against buying reviews. ‘If a restaurant cannot succeed on its own merits, it will get bad reviews and, in the worst-case scenario, the reviews purchased with rewards will be flagged’, says Alexander. He goes on to emphasise, ‘The feedback from guests who respond because of a reward often doesn’t sound very authentic. This will distort the overall picture. Guests often vent their frustrations about misleading reviews that influenced their decision to choose a restaurant on review platforms.’

Removal: only remove Google reviews in exceptional cases

Many restaurateurs attempt to remove negative Google reviews. However, Google only deletes reviews in exceptional cases, such as when they violate guidelines or are shown to be fraudulent. Instead of trying to remove bad reviews, Alexander recommends that restaurateurs respond to them, address the criticism and clarify any misunderstandings. Contacting the reviewer by email or phone directly can sometimes be the best approach, he believes. Not every discussion needs to be conducted in public.

Insights: learning from Google reviews

Restaurant reviews are not only an increasingly important marketing tool; they also provide insights into how the business is performing, both positively and negatively. To gain such insights, reviews must be analysed. Analysis tools help to identify trends and patterns. ‘For example, if guests keep asking for more fruit at breakfast, restaurateurs can make the necessary adjustments’, says Natalia. It’s not just reviews of your own business that offer important insights; those of the competition do too.

DISH

Time is a scarce commodity in the hospitality industry. DISH solutions ease the pressure on restaurateurs. The comprehensive digital package, specifically designed for the HoReCa sector, includes DISH Starter, a tool for creating a professional restaurant website; DISH Reservation, an online reservation system; and DISH Order, an online ordering system.
DISH - MPULSE Glossary

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