Tag: restaurant marketing

What Restaurants Should do in a Social Media Crisis, Part I

Posted on by Taylor Kennedy

INTRODUCTION

RestaurantA study by SDL shows that four out of five customers would walk away from a brand and never give it another chance after experiencing a major issue. Consumers don’t just want great food, they want to believe a restaurant shares their values, treats workers fairly and conducts business ethically.

In April, Gib’s, a cocktail bar in Madison, Wis., came under a social media firestorm after an email exchange between a manager and former employee went public. When the former employee asked for a W-2 form to be emailed to her, the manager sent her a file named “dumb bitch.pdf.” The employee then emailed the owner about her treatment, and the owner sent her a profanity-laced, derogatory email. To make matters worse, a month after this incident, the owner reinstated the manager without giving the current staff a heads-up, causing some of them to quit.

Here is how to handle a social media crisis and rebuild your restaurant’s reputation. Continue reading “What Restaurants Should do in a Social Media Crisis, Part I” →

How Restaurants Should Respond to Negative Comments Online

Posted on by Brian Lee

INTRODUCTION

According to Zendesk, 45 percent of customers share negative reviews on social media, and 63% of consumers read negative reviews on social media. It doesn’t help when it’s discovered that 20 percent of reviews on Yelp are fake.

Still, it’s imperative that you don’t let negative reviews sit unaddressed. One rationale is the “broken windows theory.” When consumers see no response to negative reviews, they assume you don’t care enough, and you’ll probably attract more negative (and fake negative) reviews, which will cost you revenue.

Here’s how restaurants should respond to negative comments online. Continue reading “How Restaurants Should Respond to Negative Comments Online” →

Six mistakes bar managers make

Posted on by Brian Lee

After several years of running a dining guide in Madison, Wis., and performing PR/marketing consulting for restaurants and bars, I’ve seen a common set of mistakes that bar managers make.

  1. Not having happy hour and/or drink specials. The increase in customers (who may actually order food, too) will easily make up for the minor discount you offer on drinks.
  2. Constantly changing drink specials. Stick with your specials! You are conditioning customers to expect a certain special–that’s one of the ways you build your base of regulars. One way to make it easier: instead of naming a price ($3.50 rails), just name a discount ($1 off rails). That way you don’t have to keep changing the specials when you inevitably raise your prices. (On another note, don’t call “everyday specials” as “specials,” because if a particular drink is that price every day, then that is the regular price!)
  3. Not accepting credit cards. People buy way more drinks when they start a tab. If you’re worried about people buying one drink with a credit card, set a minimum amount. (I also know some bar managers who prefer a cash-only system to avoid paying taxes. Have fun in jail.)
  4. Not having any web presence. Are you kidding? At least start a Facebook page!
  5. Allowing bartenders too much leeway (only serving regulars, drinking too much, etc.). This has many repercussions, including making the bar unwelcoming to new customers. In other words, this is very bad for business and gives your bar a poor reputation.
  6. Not being aware of area events. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a bar that was understaffed (meaning, unprepared) for people coming in from a nearby event. Similarly, I’ve been to bars that didn’t know a major sporting event was on TV, and again, was understaffed.