Situations that come up
The wait that was too long
This is one of the most common complaints, in the dining room as on the terrace. Acknowledge the inconvenience without going through a report of that evening’s service, and don’t mention the booking or the customer’s identity. Offer to continue by private message.
The dish that didn’t please
A kitchen can get a dish wrong or disappoint a taste. Say thank you, say the remark is passed on to the kitchen, and avoid “that’s not what other customers say”: the reader hears defensiveness, not listening.
The booking that went wrong
Table not ready, wrong time slot, group badly seated. If the mistake is yours, apologise in one sentence. If you can’t find the booking, politely ask for a contact rather than contradicting in public.
The flattering review with no detail
Very short reviews deserve a reply too, a brief one. Mention something concrete (a dish, the welcome) so the reply doesn’t look like a copy-paste.
Three reply templates to adapt
Fill in the fields (optional)
An empty field stays in square brackets in the text: fill it in before publishing. Read it over and change a few words, a reply that looks written for this person beats a copy-paste.
Wait in the dining room
The customer describes a wait or slow service.
Hello [first name], thank you for your feedback. The wait you describe, [problem], is not what we want to offer our customers, and we are discussing it with the dining room team. If you wish, write to us at [contact] so we can understand what happened. The [business name] team.
Disappointing dish
The criticism is about a dish or a dessert.
Hello [first name], we are sorry that your meal at [business name] did not satisfy you, in particular [problem]. Your remark is passed on to the kitchen. If you want to tell us more, you can write to us at [contact].
Thank-you
Positive review, even a short one.
Thank you [first name] for your message! Your words about [specific point] make the whole [business name] team happy, in the dining room and in the kitchen. See you soon at our table.
Other cases (fake, unfair, no comment reviews): the twelve general templates.
Where to put your review QR code
- On the bill or in the bill folder: the customer has finished eating and often already has their phone out.
- On the card payment receipt or on the back of the till receipt.
- Near the exit or the till, on a small A5 or A6 printed stand, rather than on every table.
The direct link, the QR code and an A4 poster with your name are made here: Google review link and QR code (free, no account). The same QR code for all your customers, with no sorting.
To check on your Google listing
- Lunch and dinner service hours, with closing days and public holidays.
- An up-to-date menu (or a link to the menu) and the number to book.
- Recent photos of the dining room, the terrace and the dishes, in which the place can be recognised.
To go through the rest: the 17-point listing check-up. A complete listing doesn't guarantee a better ranking, it mostly keeps you from losing a customer over wrong info.
To avoid
- Offering a coffee or a discount in exchange for a review: Google refuses it and the reader can tell.
- Asking only the tables that look happy: Google forbids sorting the customers you ask.
- Replying in the heat of the moment on the night of a difficult service.
Google's rules change: read its official help from time to time. More details: getting more Google reviews, honestly. These tips are practical, they don't replace legal advice.
A review to deal with now?
With a free SwimUp account, you paste the review and get a tailored reply draft (3 per day). Always read it over before publishing. No bank card. SwimUp also offers paid services around Google reviews, shown on the home page.
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