How Should Restaurants Handle Complaints On Social Media?

It used to be that restaurants could take days or weeks to respond to customer complaints. But now, in a digital world run by social media, that response time is limited to a few hours.

In a recent article, Nation’s Restaurant News spoke with Jay Baer, the author of customer service books like “Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers.” He says that about 74 percent of people who complain about a restaurant or food product expect a response, and 38.5 percent of those want a response within 24 hours. That can make it difficult for restaurants to keep up.

“That’s a challenge, particularly for restaurants, because people are busy. Somebody not in service has to staff the customer service hotline. They can’t do that while they are serving drinks or food to customers,” said Baer.

Despite the quick turnaround time, it’s crucial for restaurants to address complaints as soon as they can. When brands interact with their customers on social media, it builds loyalty. It’s also a way for restaurants to market themselves and separate their model from the competition in order to attract new consumers.

Restaurants are already familiar with receiving public complaints—according to surveys Baer conducted with Edison Research in 2015, food and restaurant brands receive 13.9 percent of all social media complaints. Even though that criticism can be tough to respond to, it’s essential for brands to reply.

“No response is a response. It’s a response that says, ‘We don’t care about you at all.’ And that’s a dangerous game to play with the loyalty of your patrons.”

Click here to read the original Nation’s Restaurant News article.