Bad Restaurant Review - WWYD?

[foodcritic]

NC for this on the off chance someone works out who we are and decides to do someone similar...

We have a small independent restaurant, been established over 10 years, lots of lovely regular customers, and always grateful for new customers. Many of these come due to our good reviews on various sites such as TripAdvisor, Google, etc. Also we do a fair bit (probably weekly) on local community Facebook pages which also attracts new people and reminds existing customers of what we are doing by way of Chef Specials etc.

Last week a Google review went on with 2 stars - and a comment along the lines of 'sad to see xxxxx on the menu'. (xxxx being a dish that some people find unacceptable, others specifically come to our restaurant to eat as it's difficult to find in supermarkets or other restaurants)

There is a name so I know exactly who has written this, and she's a local person who has never eaten at our restaurant. She has on occasion also used a crying emoji when she sees posts for certain dishes on Facebook that i have posted. (Suspect she's not a meat eater)

So - I have responded to the review with a similarly short comment, basically saying how disappointing someone has given a review based not on eating in the restaurant and experiencing our food/service, but based on a specific menu item.

Reviews are so important to small businesses, we can't afford massive advertising campaigns, and although this one hasn't really put a dent in our overall rating it's so frustrating. But I'm now wondering if I shouldn't have responded as I've made us look as petty as her. What would you have done?

I don't see a problem with your response. I also don't mind owners or managers responding to reviews, particularly if they're not genuine.

I don't think it's an unfair review as such as they haven't given an incorrect review at all.

Honestly I would be looking at the menu before booking or attending the restaraunt as I likely would without the review anyway.

If you think the item is a negative or extremely controversial one then either remove it or stand by it and prepare yourself to lose customers I'd imagine. I just googled Foi Gras and if that was your item I'd think you were pretty terrible people and avoid you.

The review is factual, up to you whether you ask for it to be removed but it sounds factual and non aggressive and I think if it's upset you it's because you feel it's wrong to serve it too.

If it's foie gras or veal, which I guess it must be, then I'd take it off the menu and be ashamed I ever sold it.

I'm assuming you don't consider this an option, but you asked what I'd do.

Report it as a fake review? A lot of review sites verify your a real customer now so I would go down the appeal route.

Lots of differing opinions, all taken on board.

To be clear - not Foie Gras

And yes I'm absolutely sure she has not been in (yes I'm there every day all day, it's my business)

And we also don't have 100% positive reviews, we absolutely accept we won't be the perfect place for everyone. Less than 5 star reviews can also be really helpful in knowing what we can do better (like banning all 3 year old noisy kids )

If she had been in and eaten something else but noticed veal on the menu (yes some of you were correct, but we do also do octopus!) and that had put her off - i could accept that influencing her experience and therefore her review. But she's put the review on having seen me put up our chef specials on Facebook (the review wasn't even on FB - she's specifically found an alternative place to put a review) So not even just a comment under my FB Post - other than the crying emoji.
I know on TA I can ask for it to be removed but not sure about this site, I'll have a look.

I don't think it's come across as defensive, more pointing out the fact that the review isn't based on first hand experience. But I agree it may be a bit petty (to be honest when I first saw it I was ready to go all guns blazing on Facebook and call her out publicly on there, thankfully I took a breath )

And of course if people don't want to eat veal there are plenty of restaurants that don't serve it. We do, and we stand by it as a perfectly acceptable meat to eat. I appreciate not everyone feels that way and accept that viewpoint without prejudice.

I think I'd change what you said and write something along the lines of you understand that these ingredients can be controversial. That you appreciate her taking the time to leave a comment and will bear her opinions in mind when planning future dishes. However, you just wanted to make clear to anyone else reading the reviews that this is a review of the menu itself, not a review from someone having actually eaten at the restaurant.

Yep, that. I'm afraid that what you wrote reads in a very petty and amateurish way, @foodcritic . Have you considered some training in social media for business? There's a real art to responding to difficult people on line, dealing with them confidently and logically, while also seeming reasonable and not putting off other readers.

The owner of a place I know well, does this perfectly, and I know that she did some social media training before she even started her website and her Facebook and Instagram pages.

Absolutely not lol

Hmmm...not sure it depends on what the item is guessing it can only be what others have suggested being veal or foie gras....neither of which I'd find palatable ....tricky one as these are "unpleasant" to many people...

Actually disagree with majority here. I think you’re well within your rights to say they’ve never eaten at your restaurant.
Reviews are based on the experience you had when you visited the restaurant, you can’t review a place you’ve never visited.
Your response isn’t petty, it just sounds factual to me. She never experienced your restaurant therefore her review is invalid.

Oh gosh. Now I've seen the screenshot and your response, I'd definitely avoid your restaurant. You come across REALLY poorly.

cross posted just seen that it is veal

I'd remove your comment but report her review as not being from a genuine customer

yes, I think I would remove it. You also don't want to antagonise someone who is local & could do a lot of potential damage to your restaurant via word of mouth

you can call it out as an inauthentic review but the “sad to see” is really unprofessional. Also it was 2 weeks ago?? Why are you thinking about it now

Yes I would take it down, you sound unprofessional and it would put me off.
Plus, what would you do if they post again? Walk away.

YANBU. You are completely within your rights to point out that they have not eaten in your restaurant. I don't think that your comment is that bad.

These people are happy to destroy people's businesses just because they don't agree with their principles - the oil mob, the animal crusaders and so on.

They can't go around destroying people just because they are different to them. All they need to do is avoid your restaurant. They cannot go around demanding that people stop eating meat, stop using cars and so on.

Your response is really childish and unprofessional.

Where are you? I like veal 😌

Your reply comes across as a bit unprofessional to be honest. I either would reword it or remove it all together. I think most people reading the review will work out that she has never been.

If it’s foie gras or veal then take it off the menu! I actually agree with her if it’s one of those dishes or something similar.

Lol I went for lunch and me and friend were doing a review of where we had eaten on TA... and I was telling her about this one. Read it back to myself and thought it was petty, she said to leave it up.
The 'Sad to see' bit was what i now think comes across as petty.... as it's parroting what she's written

I thought suckling pig or dishes that involve cruelty to animals like boiling alive or force feeding. A lot of people eat meat but don't want to eat at places that support cruelty and these days google reviews and the business social media pages get used to give feedback or make others aware of practices that may not be known by other people looking to give you their money.

I'm not saying they should be used that way, they just are, and if all she has said is she is disappointed to see something on the menu, then I'd just leave a "thank you for the feedback" type of comment instead of getting defensive and arguing with her. That would actually put me off going if I saw a business owner arguing with locals. The politics and ethics of a business owner does play a big part in where some people choose to spend their money these days.

Ok, leaving aside the absolute lack of ethics in serving that and your magnanimous permission in allowing people to think badly of it (why thank you)...

That is awful. So petty, so unprofessional, so spiteful. Honestly, you should have either ignored it or said you were sorry she didn't approve of it but it was going to stay on the menu. Clearly you don't accept people's right to hate the stuff on ethical grounds (and I don't think you know what "without prejudice" means) if you won't let them say so publicly without sniping at them.

Take it down, it makes you look awful. Anyone who doesn't care about the ethics of veal won't be put off by her post.

@foodcritic I really feel for you but I'm afraid to say your reply to her sounds very petty and snippy, and is more likely to do reputational damage than her original review. Plus, you cannot be 100% sure she's not eaten there.

If you do feel the need to reply, I would provide a short rational explanation why the view of veal as cruel is outdated in the context of UK welfare standards, As others have said (unless of course you do use imported veal). Use it as a chance to educate. Personally I don't see the problem with British RSPCA assured veal:

I’d totally rewrite your review and say something along the lines you are sorry they felt the need to leave a review without visiting teh restaurant.