Reputation Means Everything
Reputation management has become a critical issue for restaurants in the digital age. As Shereen Qumsieh, CEO of Akira, explains on the Restaurant Masterminds podcast, online reviews and ratings can have a profound impact on a restaurant's success and visibility. With platforms like Google dominating local search results, maintaining a positive online reputation is more important than ever for attracting customers.
However, effective reputation management goes beyond simply monitoring and responding to reviews. Qumsieh emphasizes the importance of leveraging data and AI to gain deeper insights from customer feedback. Akira's platform analyzes both online reviews and direct customer feedback to identify key themes and trends at both the brand and individual location level. This allows restaurants to spot potential issues quickly and take action.
One key strategy Qumsieh recommends is responding to both positive and negative reviews. She notes that responding shows customers the restaurant cares and is engaged. For negative reviews, she advises acknowledging the issue, showing empathy, and offering a way to continue the conversation offline to resolve the problem. Following up and "crushing it on the resolution" provides an opportunity to win back dissatisfied customers.
The discussion also touched on the potential of AI to revolutionize how restaurants interact with customer feedback data. Qumsieh envisions a future where managers can simply ask questions conversationally and get instant insights, like "How many complaints about incorrect orders did we receive in the last 30 days?" This could allow for much faster identification of trends and issues.
An intriguing point raised was using positive feedback data not just for damage control, but to drive innovation and stay ahead of competitors. Understanding what customers love could inform new product development and marketing strategies. The ability to quickly analyze feedback on new menu items or promotions could be particularly valuable.
Ultimately, reputation management has evolved beyond simply maintaining a good star rating. With the right tools and strategies, restaurants can turn their customer feedback into a valuable data asset - one that provides actionable insights to improve operations, drive growth, and create better guest experiences. As AI capabilities advance, the potential for leveraging this data in new ways will only continue to grow.
