How to respond to a one-star review?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Negative reviews can be frustrating, especially when the critic’s unfavorable opinion is not reasonable. Here is how to respond to bad restaurant reviews.

Act fast: Reviews are just a normal part of the restaurant business. You need to put a system in place that quickly responds to all reviews.
Remove the emotion: Do not get angry or frustrated with the reviewer. If you feel your emotions are getting out of control, take a pause. Once you’ve had the chance to calm down, come back and respond to the review.
Say thank you: Start the by thanking the reviewer for the feedback. This information is valuable to help you improve your restaurant. Start with something like: “Thank you for brining (customer problem or issue) to our attention.” or “thank you so much for your review.”
Identify and acknowledge the problem: Talk about the problem or issue in your response. If they don’t give you enough detail, ask “Can you please give us more details about your experience?”
Apologize: “We are sorry to hear about your experience at our restaurant and we would love to make things right.”
Move the discission offline: Move the discussion to email or a phone call. Leave a phone number or an email where the customer can reach you. DO NOT let the interaction become a long, drawn-out war between you and the reviewer.