In today’s digital age, word of mouth marketing has taken on a whole new level of significance. With just one click, customers can share their experience and post real time reviews, visible to the world, all for free, this level of reach and exposure is one that the ad men of the 80’s could only dream of. In fact, online reviews and user generated content have become some of the most influential factors in shaping consumer decisions, particularly when it comes to choosing restaurants. According to brightlocal.com Local Consumer Review Survey, 84% of customers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

As a result, savvy restaurant owners must pay attention to their online reputation and actively cultivate positive reviews to drive business and establish a competitive edge.

Wowapps highlights,

· 98% of diners found Google Ratings accurately reflect the actual experience.

· 61% of consumers have read online reviews about restaurants, this is more than any other business.

· 53% of 18-34-year-olds report, online reviews factor into their dining decisions every time they go out.

· 34% of all diners choose a restaurant based on the information found through Google reviews.

Customer feedback, in the form of positive reviews, is a valuable resource for restaurant owners seeking to optimise their business model. These provide insights into what diner’s love, helping you identify areas of strength and areas that require improvement. Analysing feedback, allows you to fine tune operations, creating an even better dining experience, helping attract new customers and build a loyal following.

Besides seeking out positive reviews, it’s also important to keep an eye out for any negative trends emerging. Promptly addressing negativity, demonstrates to your customers you take their feedback seriously and are committed to delivering a high-quality dining experience. It’s important to remember that every business encounter challenges along the way and can actually be an opportunity to turn things around, strengthening your relationship with your customers.  Taking time to listen to feedback, make necessary changes and respond to customer concerns in a timely and respectful manner builds a loyal following, ensuring the long-term success of your independent restaurant.

Positive customer feedback, likes, and comments not only raise your brands awareness and footfall but can also lead to cost savings. At Expression Insurance we reward you when your customers love your business as we discount your price based on your great customer reviews.

What steps can you take to increase the chances of customers leaving reviews?

Attracting new customers to your restaurant business can be challenging, but online reviews go a long way in establishing your credibility and reputation. In this section, we'll delve into some effective strategies that you can use to motivate your customers to leave their feedback.

· Provide a great service. The first step in getting positive reviews. Make sure your staff are friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable with your menu. Upskill them to handle complaints and concerns in a professional manner, when customers are happy, feel valued and appreciated they are more likely to leave positive comments.

· Ask for reviews. Sometimes customers need a gentle reminder, after a meal ask if they enjoyed their experience and would be willing to leave a review, you can also include a gentle prompting note on the bottom of the receipt or near the till point.

· Make it easy to leave a review. Include links on your business profile to review sites like Trip Advisor, Yelp, or Google.

· Follow up. Send a follow-up email or message thanking customers for their visit, encouraging them to leave a review.

· Respond to reviews. Replying to both positive and negative reviews, shows you value your customer opinions.

· Dedicate review webpage.

o First allows restaurants to consolidate all reviews in one place making it easier for your customers to find and read. This can help build trust and credibility with potential customers as they can see that your restaurant has a significant number of positive comments from satisfied diners.

o Secondly, a dedicated webpage allows you to actively encourage customers to  provide feedback without having to rely solely on third-party review sites, helping gather a more comprehensive and representative set of reviews.

· SMS requests – Todays ‘on the go’ culture means the power is literally in the hands of customers and asking to leave reviews via SMS request can have several benefits such as,

o Increased response rates: SMS messages have a higher open and response rate compared to other forms of communication, such as email, meaning customers are more likely to respond to an SMS request.

o Convenience: Customers can easily leave a review by replying to an SMS message, which is much more convenient than filling out a lengthy form or logging into a platform.

o Timeliness: SMS messages are typically read and responded to within minutes, making it a great way to get real-time feedback from customers

o Personalisation: SMS messages can be personalised to include the customer's name, the name of the restaurant, and other relevant details, making the request feel more personal and increase the chances of a response.

When your restaurant has positive ratings online it significantly boosts customers trust and interest in your business, translating into more happy diners who are interested in visiting your establishments, resulting in higher revenue for your business.

In conclusion, in today's world where anyone can share their opinions online, customer reviews have become an essential tool for restaurant businesses to build their reputation, significantly boosting your restaurant's star ratings and revenue, while negative reviews provide valuable insights that can help you improve your service and offerings. Remember, all customer reviews, whether good or bad, hold value, and it's important to learn from them to enhance your business. So, leverage the power of customer feedback to increase brand awareness and drive sales for your restaurant.

If you want to find out more about how Expression supports independent business owners who love their business visit www.expressioninsurance.co.uk