Antonia L wrote:Mark R. wrote:I think the issue is that in most cases the issue would be revolved in the restaurant at the time it happened if the customer had discussed the issue with the manager. What the business owners don't like is being blindsided in a public forum was an issue that they knew nothing about. If the problem had been pointed out to them at the time it occurred and hadn't been resolved satisfactorily it's one thing but if they don't know about it they can't resolve the problem. The amount of damage done in a public forum is normally disproportional to the degree of the problem. I've found that most restaurants are more than willing to work with you to resolve any problems that occur.
You said exactly what I would have said, so thanks for saving me the trouble.
When people post negative reviews of a restaurant, I always wonder why they did it. Is it
a) to notify the restaurant that they've performed badly? If so, then why do it on the internet and not face-to-face? The restaurants that
aren't willing to work with you when you bring a problem to their attention would then definitely deserve a post to let people know that they are not customer-friendly.
Or is it
b) to let the universe know that you have been wronged? OK, maybe you just need to vent. But take into consideration that your words have an impact on a business. Maybe wait a day till you cool off.
No question - as long as it's civil, people are more than entitled to post whatever they want about any restaurant on this forum. But I do always ask myself why they're doing it, and then read and respond accordingly.
The transaction between restaurant and customer has to be one of equality. In exchange for X, I pay Y.
At times, I think members of this forum offer restaurants a sympathetic reading while being overly cynical toward customers. Mark R writes that "What the business owners don't like is being blindsided in a public forum was an issue that they knew nothing about. If the problem had been pointed out to them at the time it occurred and hadn't been resolved satisfactorily it's one thing but if they don't know about it they can't resolve the problem." My problem with this line of reasoning is that it allows for an argument that the restaurant can remain innocent of responsibility if issues are not reported by customers. So in the X-Y transaction, it's also my responsibility to report back the issues I'm having. In my most cynical moments, I wonder - am I on the payroll? am I getting reimbursed for my labor? Do I really care to change the nature of my evening to have a little chit-chat with management?
I just posted, this week, a negative review of AP's. I had no interest in letting everyone know that I had been wronged. I had some purpose in letting the restaurant know of an issue I had, but, this was only a minor issue, seeing as the restaurant should have already known of the issue (as a customer had posted about it on LHB and, as the record shows, had been lambasted(!) for doing so).
Maybe I wasn't clear about this purpose (to myself) at that point, but I think my purposes were to offer support to a fellow forumite who I felt had been unfairly chastised for her own review. In the original situation, posters were quick to defend the restaurant (generous reading) while lambasting the poster (cynical reading).
When I know an issue has been brought to the restaurant's attention, I, in no way, think it's my job to offer the restaurant a status report on how it is doing. Restaurant owners find themselves in a similar situation that doctors find themselves in. No longer is the patient just at the whim-and-prayer of the doctor. The internet has allowed patients to become highly knowledgeable of their conditions, to become advocates of their conditions, and, at times, the lead expert on their conditions. A somewhat related scenario is true in regards to the internet and restaurant reviews. No longer are customers left to have that little chit-chat with management knowing full well that, in that moment, management is most interested in appeasing the customer (take it off the bill, free sundae!, etc.) Sure, good management will work to rectify issues beyond that one occurrence, but the customer knows little if such change occurs. Thanks to outlets like LHB, customers can play a more consequential role in holding places responsible for error-correction - which is something I'm all for.
It must be said that with greater power comes greater responsibility. I don't post all my bad experiences on LHB. That would be a part-time job! But, when I feel such a post is warranted (even if I have not talked to management), I post, hopefully responsibly.
Thinks the frosty mug is the low point in American history.
