Online reviews have become increasingly important in the hospitality industry, as they provide important feedback that can help restaurant owners make decisions to improve their establishments. Unfortunately, bad reviews can be damaging and expensive for business owners, leading to fewer customers and fewer profits. Maintaining a positive perspective online is just as crucial as in-person impressions. Statistics from the COVID-19 pandemic showed how powerful online chatter could be in helping potential customers decide whether to try a restaurant. New data from Trustpilot has shown that negative reviews have increased by 3% since April 2022.
Better Training Equates To Better Online Reviews
Restaurant owners can train their staff to get better reviews online by focusing on providing excellent customer service. This could include greeting customers warmly when they enter the restaurant, responding to customer feedback and complaints promptly and professionally, ensuring that orders are fulfilled accurately and on time, and clearly understanding all menu items.
The better the customer experience is, the better the online restaurant review a customer will write. It is not uncommon to see high turnover negatively affecting staff training (or lack thereof) and new employees being thrown out to serve the public without being taught how to give exemplary service that makes customers loyal.
A study published in the International Journal of Science researched university cafeteria customers and concluded that the customer’s overall satisfaction revolved around two crucial components; how the workers treated them and how well the staff knew about the food they were serving. That shows how important good customer service is and why all restaurant owners should implement it into their routines.
5 Ways Restaurant Owners Can Train Their Staff For Better Reviews
- Encourage staff to pay attention to detail when serving customers. This can include ensuring drinks are refilled promptly, orders are taken correctly and food is served at the correct temperature.
- Teach staff to be polite and friendly when interacting with customers. This can go a long way in making customers feel valued and appreciated, which can lead to positive reviews online.
- Provide staff with ongoing training and development opportunities to improve their customer service skills.
- Utilize customer feedback to identify areas that need improvement and ensure these areas are addressed in staff training sessions.
- Encourage staff to ask customers for feedback after their dining experience and thank them for their reviews. This can help build customer loyalty and increase the chances of getting positive reviews online.
Business owners can offer incentives to their hospitality customers who leave positive reviews, such as discounts, free appetizers, or other promotions. It’s essential to stay on top of social media trends to ensure they provide the best customer experience possible. Social media marketing campaigns work well in bringing attention to a restaurant business and it’s a way to interact with customers faster.
Conclusion
By providing good restaurant training, restaurant owners can help foster a positive experience for customers and make sure that their staff is equipped to handle any situation. This will not only help improve customer satisfaction but can also help ensure that reviews are more favorable. Employees will make better tips when applying the customer service training they receive, which is an incentive in itself.