Why Aren’t You Interacting With Your Loyal Restaurant Patrons Online?

I’m sure it’s been made clear that not every single restaurant needs to be on social media.

For example, Morrisville Cafe is owned by Ms. Jenkins, a small diner located along Chapel Hill Road and has been in operation for more than 30 years. Here’s the kicker: Morrisville Cafe doesn’t have a website. I doubt Ms. Jenkins even knows what a website is.

For the rest of us who needs to be on social media, we could learn a thing or two from Ms. Jenkins. Morrisville Cafe was able to keep going without much advertising thanks to a combination of good food and a sense of warm accommodation. This is very important.

A friend of mine once told me how this restaurant owner personally thanked him for writing a good review of his place in an online restaurant blog. The restaurant owner even offered a free dessert on his next visit.

The same friend told me a story of how he made an error on one of his published reviews. The next day the owner sent him an email kindly pointing out the discrepancies. Everything went smoothly thanks to the owner being cool-headed and my friend more than happy to rectify his mistakes.

He told me he’d come back to dine in both restaurants more than twice already. “I’m a regular there now,” he tells me.

The lesson here is simple: entertain, and take the initiative to respond to critics and say Thank You to your fans.

Listen to what they’re saying, and adjust accordingly. If you can’t do that out of budget constraints, address it either by sending them an email or replying to their post in your blog or website. It’s a huge thing for a customer to know he is being heard and his suggestions are being considered.

At a time when big name restaurants can’t be bothered to take a breather and listen to what clients have to say about them, taking the first step to reach out to customers is something that’s going to be unique and memorable about your restaurant.

What steps do you take to reach out to your online audience? Leave a comment below.