Counter Negative Reviews and Take Constructive Criticism Gracefully

I recently gave an honest and somewhat mixed review of The Back Eddy Restaurant in Westport Massachusetts. The day it was published there was a comment from (supposedly) the owner stating, "You are clueless..." which is the impetus for this article.

Am I clueless for thinking when a restaurant goes through the trouble of having a "specials" menu, and a very pricey one at that, that they would like people to be adventurous and trust they make these dishes as "special" as the price? If they are on a specials list doesn't that mean they are "special" i.e. a limited run, a seasonal item, something that is the establishment's "specialty" and therefore beyond the pale? Perhaps I am wrong, maybe my bachelor's degree in English doesn't qualify me to understand the meaning of "special" or clueless for that matter.

Reviews by their very nature are subjective. There is a popular cliché regarding opinions, the language of which I have altered albeit slightly for publication: Opinions are like anuses everyone has one and most of them stink. They stink if they don't agree with your opinion and they stink if they are at all derogatory about something you are involved with. I can't say the owner was there the day I was at the restaurant. I can't say he approved my food to go out the way it was. I can't say I'm a trained chef with culinary skills that uniquely prepare me to criticize food. I know what I like and what I appreciate in a dining experience. What I can say is; IN MY OPINION my lobster and asparagus were over cooked, the lobster bisque was not what I expected, and the prices were excessive.

Keeping in mind MY opinion of MY experience is subjective to ME. I would offer that on any given night any dish might pass through the kitchen without being perfection. Not every meal is lorded over by the head chef and/or owner of the restaurant. Not every meal is picked up the instant it is ready to be served and delivered to the table post haste. There are many mitigating factors that can affect a restaurant experience but I can only write about what actually happened during mine.

Following is my advice to anyone receiving a bad or mixed review they just can't ignore. When you feel the urge to comment negatively about the writer consider the following:

Remember your customer is entitled to their OPINION of what you do. You have put yourself in the position to be praised or ridiculed and should be prepared for both. Not everyone is going to love everything you do everyday.

When you receive a mixed review you should take the good with the bad and concentrate on fixing whatever went wrong. If you are receiving a mixed review the negatives are most likely a few things that are easily rectified.

When the review is on a public forum open for commentary it's never wise to bash the reviewer. It makes you look childish, confrontational, and arrogant. Posting, "You're clueless" for the rest of the world to see reflects badly on you, particularly because it is impossible for someone to be clueless with regard to their personal experience. In fact if the article didn't turn them off your establishment your crude rebuttal certainly will.

If you can't help but say something in an attempt to defend yourself start by being apologetic: "I'm sorry you had a less than phenomenal experience at our establishment. This certainly is not our standard and I will be sure to address these issues with my staff." Make yourself and your staff humble, have humility when dealing with the public because they can make or break you and your commentary will help them do it.

More importantly if you have to opportunity to directly contact the reviewer do that instead. Still apologize but invite them back to your establishment with a promise to change their previous opinion in hopes that they will then write an addendum or additional review in juxtaposition to the original.