To still be fuming over tripadviser response

[MrsSparkles]

after a week? A couple of members of our rather large birthday party lunch last Sunday left a quite negative review on tripadviser for a restaurant.

Just for clarity there were 10 of us, we ordered on 3 separate tickets. 2 lots came after approx. 1 1/2 hours of waiting (would have been nice to have a warning it was going to be so long but heigh-ho). The last ticket - which was actually ordered first - eventually turned up 20 mins later having been re-ordered.

We asked for the manager to come and see us, but had to request this 4 times before he eventually came over, after about a 30 minute wait, and actually being at our table several times to get cutlery. We suggested it might be nice to offer the people who had to wait 2 hours some money back (not the rest of us). They did in the end but have now accused us of being rude and aggressive, and suggested we never come back.

I am fuming because 1. It should never have got this far, if he'd come over in a reasonable amount of time we wouldn't have been so rude and 2. If they'd just held their hands up the first time and said terribly sorry can we get the 2 of you a complimentary drink (or similar), we would have felt much happier.

Usually I will never write a restaurant off after 1 visit (everyone can have an off day) - which is why we didn't write a review, but I am so cross I want to email them to tell them exactly what I think of their shoddy customer service.

I work in retail and would be appalled if my managers behaved in this way.

[SheHasAWildHeart]

The signs are lots of negative reviews then a few glowingly positive ones from people who have never posted before. Positive reviews are usually very short and lack details, but invariably praise a member of staff.

This! There is a place in Birmingham that it exceptionally awful but the real reviews get lost in all the reviews that are as the above poster says. When I posted my honest review the manager wouldn't stop harassing me via PM.

[cleaty]

Yes I am always suspicious of reviews that say are vague about rooms, but say, the hosts Anne and John were so friendly and welcoming and could not do enough for us. Always without any examples.

[2rebecca]

I agree that a specific negative review followed by an aggressive response by the owner tells me all I need to know. 1 hour 30 is far too long to wait assuming you hadn't been eating another course in that time. Anywhere with a waiting time of over 30 minutes should be telling people that, or turning people away and saying they are at capacity.
I agree vague overly positive reviews from occasional posters are best ignored.

[GarlicShake]

That was a great post, Magicalman. Good luck with your new place, and welcome to Mumsnet!

[oncemoreuntothebreachoncemore]

I own a business that is on tripadvisor. Largely reviews are fair, but occasionally we get over really nasty slanderous comments from people who seem to have the sole aim of ruining our business. Reviews are completely unverified, so anyone can write whatever they want.

For example a restaurant customer slated our bedrooms, saying they were dirty and had evidence of mice. That pretty much killed all our bookings. The customer in question did not at any time access any of the bedrooms. If they had they would have found them clean and rodent free. Trip advisor eventually removed the review but the damage was done and we lost a lot of money.

I understand why owners are fighting back. The system is open to abuse.

[Sanchar]

I've left a review and had a similar response too.

Went to a local little tea shop with dh. cakes were fantastic, tea was utter, shiteing undrinkable shite.

Dh didn't want me to complain at the time so I left a pretty normal, polite review, saying how fab the cakes were but the tea was undrinkably strong, and suggested they could put less tea leaves in.

The "manager" left the most patronising and condescending reply, trying to make me look like some half wit fool.
Made me angry for about half an hour but, like others have said, it said sooo much more about him and his attitude to customers, and he lost a potential regular.

I don't understand why he got so defensive and didn't just take the feedback. A simple "thank you for your comments, we will look into our tea making practice" or something, even if they actually did diddlysquat about it, would have been a million times better and I would have gone back.
Now the other tea shop in our town gets my 3x a week custom instead.

[GarlicShake]

I don't understand why he got so defensive and didn't just take the feedback.

Yup, this! I'm not afraid of complaining, but we all know a lot of people are. Leaving criticism after the fact is their chance to say what they didn't voice at the time - and the provider's response should be the same.

What the tea shop manager did to you is the equivalent of ranting at me that I know nothing about tea, etc. More Basil Fawlty than reasonable business person! Worse, they've now done it online so millions of people will see it, instead of one tea-shop full of shocked customers.

... Now my imagination's having fun with the reviews that would be left for Fawlty Towers

[Sanchar]

That is exactly what he did! I may not be a high class tea connoisseur but I do know you don't put approximately 15tsp of tea leaves in a 3 cup tea pot☕

If I look up a restaurant on TA and see shitty arse replies from the management I cross it off the list.