Leaving A Review

I noticed an article in the West Australian last week about ‘influencers’ and the impact they can have on the success or otherwise of a cafe. It’s been on my mind since, and a chat I had with one of our regulars Shannon yesterday has prompted me to make reviews, influencers & social media the topic of this weeks blog post.

As a new cafe, creating a strong social media presence is really important in getting the word out about who you are and what you bring to the proverbial (and literal) table. Getting the right amount of content, hashtags and posting times is a very steep learning curve and quite a delicate balancing act!

I think I speak for all hospo business owners when I say we have the dream of being discovered by an Urban List or Broad Sheet, bringing with it customers, glory and a billion dollars. It is definitely possible, but it is also a hard and slow slog to get noticed by these types of publications. One of the fastest ways that I have found to get your name out there is by using ‘influencers’ to promote your cafe.

For those that are not familiar, this process involves someone with a large social media following coming to your cafe and then writing it up on their site, often in exchange for free food. This is not exclusive obviously, and there are many food bloggers that attend and review incognito – which I wholeheartedy support and applaud.

I’ve always wanted to ensure that our growth and following happen organically, so I have a no-go policy on reviews in exchange for product deals. To me, it is not an accurate representation of what the community thinks of the cafe, nor does it give me a sense of how we are doing in terms of attracting new customers. It’s a false economy.

The benefits of a good review are clear, but what you may find surprising is that I believe bad reviews can be just as helpful as good ones.

As an owner I’ve never shied away from embracing bad feedback – it is that which helps me to grow and shape the cafe. I think ego is the biggest threat to a successful hospitality business, so it follows that humility and vulnerability are essential to making my hospitality business work.

What is critically important to me, and any small business owner, are the reviews that are published on Facebook, Google, Trip Advisor etc. A good overall star rating has a big impact on whether new customers decide to visit you and as staff (especially the kitchen staff who don’t get to interact with customers) a good review bolsters morale and gives a much needed pat on the back for a job well done.

As an example, we had a one-star review this week, which was left without reasons or comments, just the star rating. I reached out to the author and asked for their feedback, which they provided and has opened an important dialogue for the cafe, as well as an opportunity to re-examine processes and our core values. I am looking forward to responding to that customer with our thoughts and what we can do differently to encourage growth in the areas they have suggested.

Is it hard to hear someone didn’t have the experience we wanted them to?

Of course it is.

Is it worth it if we can fix the problem and grow as a result?

Absolutely.

To all those who have taken the time to review us on Facebook or Google, I’d like to extend my thanks. The recent nine 4 or 5 star reviews in a row have brought the staff all the warm fuzzies! If you haven’t as yet, I’d really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to leave your thoughts on the cafe and the work we do. It helps us beyond measure and will go a long way to ensure the growth and sustainability of the cafe into the future.

See you in store,