Restaurants & Social Media: Turning Critics Into Fans

After you've chosen your restaurant's social media platforms and considered how to utilize paid ads, it's very likely that your establishment's patrons will seek out your page for information, spread word about your business with their own pictures and reviews, and share their experiences through posts. No matter how carefully your operation is monitored, you can't please everybody, and some of your customers will inevitably have negative experiences to share. Although massive chains often can afford to be lax about responding to social media comments, an independent business handling social media criticism appropriately can have a huge impact on its perception in the community.

Tips for Responding to Social Media Criticism

Because social media connects you directly to your customers, social media platforms and even websites such as Yelp should be seen as extensions of your customer service. Just as you wouldn't ignore a customer lodging a complaint in person, you shouldn't ignore the chance to respond to social media comments and improve the situation when it's feasible to do so. While it's easier to respond positively to a complimentary post or mention, critical posts can be handled in a way that changes customers' opinions and lets onlookers know that your business cares about each guest's experience. Below are some tips for turning your critics into fans.

Establish a protocol. Before your restaurant ever gets its first bad review, you should create a plan that outlines how you expect the employee or employees in charge of your page to respond to social media criticism. It can be tempting to give multiple employees access to your accounts to simplify posting visual content, but having too many social media managers can backfire, as disgruntled employees could use your account against you and personal tweets can accidentally be sent to professional accounts. All employees with access to your accounts should be trained to handle them according to the social media plan you've established to avoid any mismanagement.

Respond in a timely fashion. Customers interacting with your business on social media expect a quick response, and while you may not have the resources to constantly monitor your accounts, they should be monitored regularly. Having notifications set up for new mentions and posts or checking your accounts at the beginning, middle, and end of the day can help you deal with issues before the customer is left waiting too long. This is especially important if you schedule posts, since it could appear to onlookers that you're ignoring customers.

Leave the "if" out of it. "We're sorry if this happened" begins an exchange with your customer by implying you don't believe them. Even if you suspect the customer's complaint is the result of miscommunication or an exaggeration of events, acknowledging the situation with an apology starts the conversation on the right foot. "We're sorry your visit wasn't enjoyable" lets other customers know you take bad experiences seriously.

Don't respond to negativity with negativity. It can be tempting to respond to a negative post with more negativity, especially if the poster's tone or message feels like a personal attack. However, responding angrily will escalate the situation and reflect poorly on your business when other customers see it. You want your business to be known for what it's serving, not for being rude to customers on social media.

Maintain transparency. Handling social media criticism by deleting negative reviews and posts can turn your customers against you. Just as those posting to your page will notice if you ignore their comments, they will notice if posts go missing. Deleting negative reviews instead of addressing them can make your business seem less trustworthy.

Handle public complaints privately. Instead of getting into a back-and-forth with a customer on a public platform, consider inviting them to discuss the issue with the appropriate person via email, phone, or direct messages. This shows your business is addressing the issue while keeping the customer's information and details about the occurrence shielded behind a private communication.