Mastering Restaurant Review Management for Success in the UK (with free templates!)

The significance of reviews for your restaurant

If you operate within the UK's restaurant industry, you've likely found yourself navigating through online reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and more. Online reviews, for better or worse, play a vital role in the success of your restaurant business. Given that potential customers in the UK place significant trust in the opinions shared about your restaurant online, reviews can serve as a powerful tool for attracting new patrons. Consider these key insights:

• Restaurants and cafes receive more review attention than any other type of business.
• A remarkable 31% of diners would be willing to spend more at a restaurant with positive reviews.
• A whopping 88% of consumers rely on online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

So, how should a restaurant in the UK effectively manage these online reviews? First, it's crucial for your business to respond promptly to every review, whether it's positive or negative. In fact, customers expect to receive a response within one day when they leave a review. A well thought-out response not only builds trust and rapport with your customer base but also reflects your genuine commitment to ensuring a positive dining experience. It also provides you with an opportunity to shape the perception of your restaurant by highlighting your business's strengths. Even better, including your restaurant's name in your responses is a cost-effective way to enhance your business's SEO!

Continue reading to discover how to adeptly handle reviews for your restaurant in the UK and access 10 potent response templates that are ready to use for effectively managing online feedback

How to manage your restaurants reviews

While diners in the UK are increasingly leaving positive reviews, it's essential to acknowledge that negative reviews are part and parcel of the restaurant business. Knowing how to effectively handle feedback from dissatisfied customers is critical for your restaurant's success. Here are 5 straightforward strategies for responding to negative restaurant reviews in the UK.

Conduct thorough research: Take the time to carefully analyse negative reviews, ensuring you have a complete understanding of the customer's perspective. Discuss the situation with your team to gain insights into what went wrong. You could even consider researching the reviewer to tailor your response in a way that resonates with their concerns.

Keep calm: It's human nature to respond to frustration with frustration. But in these situations, try to detach yourself personally from negative feedback. Keeping a level head and a professional tone in your response is key.

Respond to every review: Think about why people in the UK share their thoughts through online reviews; it's their way of being heard. This mean it's crucial to respond to every review, even the challenging ones. Statistics show that 45% of consumers are more likely to patronise a business that addresses negative reviews.

Make it swift: Responding promptly and intentionally sets your restaurant apart from the competition. Consider setting up a Google Alert to ensure you don't miss any reviews that require your attention.

Maintain a positive online presence: Engage with and respond to positive reviews as well. This best practice can turn first-time customers into loyal patrons and even advocates for your restaurant brand.

Free review response templates for your restaurant

Response examples for positive reviews

Responding to customer reviews shouldn't overwhelm you or feel like a full-time job. We're here to help with that. We've crafted 10 powerful, ready-to-use templates for responding to reviews. With the right context, these will simplify the process and allow you to reply to more customers in less time!

Response template for positive ratings or reviews without text

Hi [REVIEWER NAME],

Thank you for your [X]-star review! Were glad you enjoyed your experience at [RESTAURANT NAME] and hope to see you again soon.

- [RESTAURANT NAME] Team

Response template for positive reviews without much information

Hi [REVIEWER NAME],

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review - we truly appreciate it! At [RESTAURANT NAME], we continuously work to create good experiences for our customers and your feedback makes it all worth it. We look forward to serving you in the future!

- [RESTAURANT NAME] Team

Response template for positive reviews that mention team members

Hi [REVIEWER NAME],

Thank you for leaving us such a thoughtful review! It means the world to us and specially to [TEAM MEMBER/S NAME/S]. Next time you come to [RESTAURANT NAME], dont hesitate to ask for him/her/them, he/she/they will be happy to see you again.

We look forward to serving you in the future.

- [RESTAURANT NAME] Team

Response template for positive reviews about the food

Hi [REVIEWER NAME],

Thank you so much for the kind words. Were very happy to hear that we share the same passion for food and that you had a great experience with ours!

Our kitchen staff will be especially happy to read this review. The [FOOD ITEM MENTIONED] is one of their favourites as well. Might we recommend you also try the [POPULAR FOOD ITEM NOT MENTIONED] in your next visit? We're sure you'd love it too. See you soon!

- [RESTAURANT NAME] Team

Response template for positive reviews about service

Hi [REVIEWER NAME],

On behalf of the [RESTAURANT NAME] team, thank you for the kind review! Our team works very hard to create great experiences for our customers and were happy to hear that we hit the mark.

It's customers like you that make the grind worth it. We look forward to serving you again!

- [RESTAURANT NAME] Team

Response examples for negative reviews

Response template for negative ratings or reviews without text

Hi [REVIEWER NAME],

We're so sorry to hear that your experience was less than desired. We'd like to learn more about what happened and how we can improve. Would you please consider reaching out to us at [PHONE NUMBER / EMAIL ADDRESS]? We would love to make things right.

- [RESTAURANT NAME] Team

Response template for negative reviews without much information

Hi [REVIEWER NAME],

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. At [RESTAURANT NAME], we continuously work to create good experiences for our customers and we're sorry to hear that we missed the mark here.

Would you please consider reaching out to us at [PHONE NUMBER / EMAIL ADDRESS] with any further comments or suggestions? We hope we can use this to improve in the future.

- [RESTAURANT NAME] Team

Response template for reviews that need a solution

Hi [REVIEWER NAME],

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. At [RESTAURANT NAME] we are committed to providing great customer service and would like the opportunity to make this right. Please give us a call/email at [PHONE NUMBER / EMAIL ADDRESS]. Our [POSITION + NAME] will take care of this personally.

We hope to find a solution as soon as possible.

- [RESTAURANT NAME] Team

Response template for fake reviews

Hi [REVIEWER NAME],

We'd like to apologise for your negative experience at [RESTAURANT NAME]. However, we cannot find any record of your visit in our database. Could you please reach out to us at [PHONE NUMBER /EMAIL ADDRESS] so that we can discuss the matter further? We look forward to hearing from you.

- [RESTAURANT NAME] Team

Response template for angry customers reviews

Hi [REVIEWER NAME],

We're so sorry to hear that you werent satisfied with your experience. There are some concerning details in your review that we'd like to discuss further. If you'd like our assistance, could you please reach out to us at [PHONE NUMBER / EMAIL ADDRESS]?

We really value your feedback.

- [RESTAURANT NAME] Team