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By Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
Few things can put a restaurant out
of business faster than a bad restaurant review. If it happens to you,
don’t just complain. Take proactive steps to ensure that the public
knows your side of the story.
Here are tips for the hospitality
industry on how to offset bad reviews—and make the most of good ones:
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If you take issue with anything in
the review, consider writing a letter to the editor or an opinion
column. The advantage is that these are usually not heavily edited. So
you can explain your side of the story in your own words. Be sure the
letter or column does not exceed the number of words that will be
accepted. See
Special Report #4: How to Write Crisp, Compelling Letters to the
Editor.
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If your food was indeed bad and
your service substandard, don’t offer a lot of excuses like “two
people called in sick the day the reviewer was here.” Instead, write a
letter to the editor apologizing to patrons and promising that you
will do everything you can to serve the best food possible, provide
the quickest service and win back customers. Public apologies often
draw sympathy and support.
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If there are factual errors in the
review and you don't want to write a letter or a column, at the very
least, call the publication and ask for a correction. If you don’t set
the record straight, there’s a chance the incorrect information will
be printed again. See
How to Ask for a Correction.
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After a bad review, resist the
temptation to pull your advertising to "get back at" the newspaper or
magazine. It can hurt you in the long run and do much more damage than
a bad review.
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To offset a bad review, consider
an advertising campaign with testimonials from famous local
celebrities who love your restaurant. Include posters that can be put
in your window. After getting a less-than-favorable review, a popular
restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin asked one of the most well-known
women in the city to offer a testimonial and appear in paid ads. See
Special Report #31: Sell More Products and Services by Getting and
Giving Powerful Testimonials.
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If you recognize food reviewers in
your restaurant, do not give them a hard time or order them to leave.
Instead, politely ask them if they will call you before the review is
printed and "fact check" information, such as types of ingredients and
how the food was prepared. Also, ask them to let you know several days
in advance when the review will be printed. Five-star reviews can
hurt, too, if you’re suddenly swamped with customers as the result of
a great review but don’t have the wait staff to serve them.
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Restaurant reviewers have a legal
right to comment on whether they like your food. However, if you can
prove that a bad, inaccurate review was the result of a blatant
disregard for the truth, the article might constitute libel. Court
cases can prove costly, even if you win. And by that time, the damage
can be done. Sometimes all it takes is a sharply worded letter from
your attorney to the editor of the newspaper to force them to agree to
run your rebuttal column. Use this tactic only as a last resort.
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Remember that little things—like
the condition of your rest rooms—are often mentioned by reviewers.
They pay particular attention to bad plumbing, a lack of paper towels
and toilet paper, and overall cleanliness. Would your restroom pass
inspection on busy nights?
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If you receive a good review, use
sentences from the review as testimonials in your paid advertising, on
signs in the window, and elsewhere throughout the restaurant.
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Frame and post favorable reviews
on the wall where customers can see them. Consider reproducing them
with type larger than it actually appeared so the review is easier to
read, particularly in a dark restaurant.
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Make reprints of favorable reviews
and use them in your direct marketing campaign. Post favorable reviews
at your web site. See
Special Report #13: How to Recycle Publicity--for Serious Publicity
Hounds Only.
Need more help offsetting bad
restaurant reviews?
See "Publicity Tips for Restaurants, Chefs & Foodies"
Joan Stewart, a former restaurant
reviewer and newspaper editor, presents "Hey Boss, Mike Wallace is on
Line 2," a half-day workshop on how to deal with the media when the news
is bad. Ideal for your trade association seminar or in-house training
session for your management team. Contact Joan at
JStewart@PublicityHound.com
or at 262-284-7451.
See
Special Report #1: Damage Control: How to Keep the Media from Making a
Mess of Your Story.
See
The Dangerous Hidden Secrets of Print and Broadcast Reporters.
See
How to Keep the Media Wolves at Bay
Direct comments or questions about this article, including requests for
reprint rights, to:
Direct comments or questions about this article,
including requests for reprint rights, to:
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
Phone: 262-284-7451
JStewart@PublicityHound.com
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