Restaurant Reviews: A Playbook for Earning, Responding, and Ranking

Reviews drive local discovery and trust. This playbook shows you how to earn more high-quality reviews without incentives, reply in a way that wins future guests, and report true policy violations—while keeping your team’s workload low.

Targets to aim for

• Rating 4.4–4.8 with steady weekly velocity (recency matters)

• Reply to 100% of new reviews within 48 hours

• Turn 1★ recoveries into public proof of care

1) Earning reviews ethically (no incentives)

• Ask routinely, not selectively. Avoid filtering only happy guests; request from all tables fairly.

• Timing: right after the positive moment—dessert, bill drop, or pickup handoff. Keep the ask short and human.

• Channels: table QR, receipt QR, WhatsApp follow-up (opt-in), and a small “How did we do?” card.

2) Scripts you can hand to staff

• At table: “If you enjoyed everything, a quick review really helps locals find us. The QR on your table goes straight there—thank you!”

• On WhatsApp (opt-in): “Thanks for dining with us! If you had a good time, could you share a quick review here: {review_link}? It really helps.”

• Post-issue recovery: “We’re sorry we missed the mark. I’ve adjusted {make_good}. If you feel we’ve corrected it, your review update means a lot.”

3) Response framework that wins future guests

Use HEARD: Hear, Empathize, Apologize, Resolve, Diagnose.

• Positive review reply: “Thank you, {name}! So glad you loved the {dish}. We’ll pass this to the team—hope to see you again soon.”

• 3★–4★ reply: appreciate + address minor issue + invite back with a specific improvement.

• 1★ reply (public): “We’re sorry for the experience, {name}. This isn’t our standard. Please DM us at {contact} with date/time so we can make it right.” Follow with an offline resolution.

4) Operationalizing reviews with WhatsApp (tie-in with C5)

• After-visit nudge: send a single review reminder the next morning (opt-in only). No incentives. Include direct link to your review profile.

• Tagging: mark Complaints, Allergies, VIPs. Route complaints to a manager for a same-day callback.

5) Measurement: velocity, mix, and recency

• Velocity: count reviews per week; steady beats bursts. Aim for distribution across days.

• Mix: watch cuisine keywords (“best biryani,” “great cocktails”) and surface those dishes higher on your menu.

• Recency: new reviews weigh heavily—keep a drumbeat going year-round.

6) Policy & reporting (when to flag)

Only report clear violations (spam, off-topic, hate speech, conflicts of interest, doxxing). Don’t mass-report fair negative feedback; fix the root cause and reply professionally.

Internal links

← C5: WhatsApp for Restaurants • Pillar Guide • C7: QR Menu UX & Accessibility →

Checklist

• Ask every day • One review nudge next day • Reply within 48h • Use HEARD • Track velocity & recency • Report only true violations

Need a hand?

EasyMenus can add table/receipt QR flows, wire a compliant WhatsApp review nudge, and standardize response templates so you earn steady, high-quality reviews.