90% of internet users say they consult customer reviews, and 46% of them choose their restaurant based on them.
That’s why restaurateurs cannot ignore these customer reviews, which are essential for their online reputation.
Customer reviews of your restaurant not only influence the decision of internet users but also impact your average rating, local SEO, and customer retention process. How? Why do they carry so much weight? How can you strategically take the time to respond to them? Why is it crucial to collect as many reviews as possible, and how can you achieve that? What should you do with negative reviews and fake reviews? All the answers to these questions in this article!
We asked our clients Big Mamma, Kozy Kanopé, and Breathe how they manage to collect numerous customer reviews and handle them without getting overwhelmed. Their responses? +800 reviews in 1 month for Kozy Kanopé, 160 reviews collected in 1 week for Breathe… Discover their results and how to achieve them in this video 👇 It has never been easier for them, so they testified to share their experience with you!
To assist you, restaurant owners, we have developed all the features within our solution “Malou” to support you in managing your restaurant’s customer reviews on a daily basis. You can view and respond to all customer reviews, receive a daily summary, launch satisfaction campaigns at your tables to collect reviews, and limit negative reviews – all from Malou. But we have gone even further: we created a magical item that allows you to collect even more reviews!
1. Why are Google customer reviews important for your restaurant?
Customer reviews of your restaurant have a strong impact on its reputation. They reflect past experiences at your establishment, both positive and negative. These reviews influence the decisions of potential customers. The more reviews you have, the more internet users believe your restaurant attracts customers. Therefore, your reviews reflect the satisfaction and popularity of your restaurant, highlighting the importance of having them.
You must respond to all your customer reviews. Whether they are positive or negative, responding is crucial to show your appreciation, understand past experiences, and project a positive image of your establishment. This is because 93% of internet users who are interested in reviews also read the responses. Moreover, responding to all reviews will improve your local SEO. Providing responses sends positive signals to the Google algorithm, which considers you an active establishment, elevates your ranking in search results, and reduces the impact of negative ratings on your overall average for which you have replied! Your responses to customer reviews also offer a strategic opportunity to include your keywords.
Keywords refer to the terms used by internet users to express their needs. For you, these words define your offerings and location. Therefore, a significant challenge is to identify the keywords that your potential customers will use. Once identified, you need to implement a content strategy to increase the chances of ranking high in the search results for these keywords. One effective way to do this is by using these keywords in your responses to reviews.
And did you know that with each response, the author of the review receives a notification email? This presents an excellent opportunity to create a new point of contact with the customer and take the chance to inform them about updates, current offers, etc. It’s an exchange that helps build customer loyalty and entices them to come back.
Customer reviews, therefore, serve as a means of expressing gratitude to your clientele, increasing your average rating, improving your local SEO, and creating a new point of contact. The more reviews you have, the better. However, it is essential to limit negative reviews.
2. How to collect more positive customer reviews?
Invite your customers directly to share their experience online. How? Several incentives can be implemented. Place prominent QR codes on the tables, on the bill, or even on delivery bags. You can also educate the front-of-house team to engage in conversations with satisfied customers. Just a few sentences are enough to kindly ask them to leave a review and show them the process. It’s essential not to appear pushy or insistent.
How to generate a QR code to direct directly to the “Leave a review” page from Google? Log on to your restaurant’s Google My Business page, copy paste your link HERE and print your Customer Reviews QR code! (Attention: click on download and wait, without creating an account)
However, using a QR code still requires the customer to: 1. Scan the QR code with their phone 2. Click on the link 3. Write the review 4. Submit it. What if they could reduce those 4 steps to just 2? It’s possible with Malou! We have created a magical device for restaurant owners: a small wooden tablet where customers can simply place their phone on it, and the review page automatically appears using contactless technology.
But many customers may miss your on-site incentives. So, increase your chances by contacting them after their visit. A personalized email message grabs their attention significantly. However, sending individual emails to each customer can be very time-consuming.
No need to worry! Because we have integrated an email campaign feature into the Malou solution to collect more reviews. Simply download your customer data directly onto our Malou platform. You have multiple options for this: manually input the data or import customer files gathered from reservation software, delivery platforms, your point-of-sale system, or other platforms. For instance, Zenchef and TheFork provide customer information directly from their websites. You can also add customers manually by providing their general information on Malou, and you can include details such as their last visit date and other additional information. How can you collect this data? You can use a loyalty program, reservation systems, etc.
Once you have enriched your database on Malou, you can quickly build campaigns and send them with just one click directly from the interface!
a. Set up the campaign.
First, choose the name of the campaign and on which platform you want to collect more customer reviews: Google, Tripadvisor, or Foursquare?
b. Configure the audience.
Import the customer files you want to address and filter them based on the range of their last visit date. Also, apply the minimum number of days since the last time you contacted them, if applicable. Otherwise, check “never.”
c. Write your message.
Arguably the most crucial point because it is essential to capture the recipient’s attention. And for that, the message must be personalized for each individual. Malou allows you to address the message in the customer’s name automatically, without having to do it one by one. Customize your message afterward. The sent email contains several stars to encourage the customer to leave a review based on their experience. If the customer chooses between 4 and 5 stars, Malou redirects them to your selected directory page.
3. How to combat negative or outdated reviews?
Negative customer reviews carry significant weight on your restaurant’s average rating. To offset a negative review, you need multiple positive ones. However, you can mitigate their impact on your average by responding to them. Therefore, it is essential to take the time to respond to negative reviews. The Malou solution also helps you ensure that none of them slip through the cracks. It centralizes ALL customer reviews left on various platforms where your restaurant is listed, including: Google, Tripadvisor, The Fork, Zenchef, Foursquare, Ubereats, Facebook, and more. Malou also provides guidance on responses using various templates.
In this article, we provide you with 12 tips for responding to customer reviews of your restaurant in the most effective way possible!
To ensure that you don’t miss any reviews, Malou now allows you to receive a daily email alert with all the reviews received from the previous day. This way, you will always be up-to-date with the reviews you receive and can respond promptly, benefiting your SEO!
With email campaigns launched from Malou, you not only receive new positive reviews but also nurture your customer relationships by limiting negative feedback. How? If a customer, in response to your email, rates 1, 2, or 3 stars, they will be redirected to a form to complete. Through this form, they can provide details about their negative experience to help you improve. However, the rating will not be published on platforms such as Google, Tripadvisor, etc.
Regarding fake reviews, why is it important to track them? How can you identify and remove them? How to manage fake reviews? Our expert friends from Lightspeed explain step-by-step in this article.
