Are You At Risk Of Pushing Customers Away Before They Even Dine In Your Restaurant?
I am a big fan of Mo Twister, a radio show host back in my home country. I don’t get to listen to him too often now, but I check his blog every now and then. Last Saturday, I found something quite interesting.
In the blog post, DJ Mo was bashing this restaurant near the apartment where he lived. He hasn’t eaten in the restaurant yet. But he’d been browsing the Internet and found this neat if not condescending article tucked away in the restaurant’s website.
The article:
A word to the wise: UPPER EAST is not for those sans chutzpah and those unwilling to pay for the price for a taste of New York style.
Run by the chefs and students of AHA Philippines, UPPER EAST’s interiors are done in modern chic, urban classic, design reminiscent of New York’s Upper East Side apartments. Wooden chandeliers complete the picture of a restaurant that may just be too chic for its clients.
Just don’t expect to dine whenever you want to.
After all, UPPER EAST is not always open for business. We close our doors when we want to, and we certainly won’t wait around for guests who, frankly, need to get a move on. No lunch is served after 1 p.m. and no dinner after 9 p.m.
UPPER EAST is not for scrooges and stiffs. We tolerate sharing, although it’s not exactly de rigeur, is it? As for splitting? The fine is set at P250, not including our wait staff looking down their noses at you.
This is the UPPER EAST experience. And this is the price you pay… if you can get in.
What can you say?
Frankly I couldn’t say anything after going through the article at least a couple times. I had no idea if the owner of Upper East wanted to attract a following of elite diners by trying to sound like a New Yorker (do New Yorkers even talk this way?), or he or she is intentionally trying to push customers away, which makes more sense, if you ask me, considering the tone of the article.
This is what happens when online marketing for restaurants is taken out of context. I believe there’s nothing wrong with trying to establish a personality, a corporate attitude. But at least make sure it works to your advantage and that it doesn’t leave customers with a sour taste in their mouths.
A lot of the things you need to know before you get started on restaurant marketing on the Internet I’ve already discussed in my previous posts, which can be found in the Online Marketing section of this site. For example, instead of writing a condescending article about how “chic” your restaurant is, why not setup a weekly-updated blog where you ask clients for feedback and possible ways to improve the menu and service?
If there’s anything that can be laid in stone in this business, it’s that customers want to be heard. Period.
Small things like these – writing an introductory article for your restaurant’s website – sometimes goes a long way and could either make or break your business without your knowing it. If you’re going to do it, do it right. If you want to get your feet wet marketing your restaurant online, then be prepared. Brush up a little by reading some of my online restaurant marketing tips.
It’s always sad to see a restaurant business go down just because they couldn’t get their internet marketing campaign right.
Leave your comments after this post.