QUALITALY_128

April/May 202 2 VIII MAGAZINE “TripAdvisor is not very effective for restaurants, there are too many fake reviews; TheFork is growing fast, it has interesting technological integrations (I choose a number of guests and a time and it finds me the available venues without having to call), it still has a positioning gap, it is perceived as cheap but it is working on brand identity and on building certified reviews and feedbacks”, analyses Stefano Carenzi, maître and owner of Dry Aged in Milan. Then there is Google, which still has little interaction and is inconsistent in its use. Basically, it is crucial for a newly opened business to create a positive reputation on all these platforms. Especially if the core business of the restaurant is its cuisine. SATISFYING THE CUSTOMER PERSONALLY. MAKING THEM COMFORTABLE Communicating any dissatisfaction with the service is Stefania Aliprandi’s biggest worry. Together with her husband Gabriele Viola-Boro (with whom she runs venues such as Liquors, Gomez and Saint in Monza), she leads a battle against serial haters: “Those who use this kind of tool express their frustration with an opinion that is not very constructive, not very elegant, not very nice or not very objective”. Edoardo Maggiori, CEO and Founder of Sun Tzu Consulting (La Filetteria Italiana, Magnaki and El Takomaki) has a different opinion; for him, certain platforms play a more than important role: “Our aim is to give our customers the best possible all-round dining experience. The winning key is therefore the result of our expertise and the opinions of our customers, without which a workflow that aims to improve day by day would be interrupted”. The comment from the Particolare di Milano restaurant is also harsh. Here, when a review arrives on TripAdvisor, it is read and commented on directly by the maître and sommelier Luca Beretta who, if untruthful or inappropriate, responds in a polite but decisive manner: “We are opposed to the fact that anyone, even those who do not have the minimum skills, allow themselves to write whatever they want, especially if done arrogantly and flippantly”. And then there are those who basically avoid looking at reviews because they seek direct contact with the customer by commenting on the experience together at the end of the lunch or dinner. This is the case of Federico Armentano of Ristorante Cecco di Milano : “Most of the reviews that concern us are from people passing through or foreign tourists. With our aficionados we try to have a more direct contact, an immediate comment ”. And what do they think of it overseas? For Manuel Dallori, owner of The Beach Luxury Club, a restaurant and meeting point open from morning to night in Sharm El Sheikh (Domina Coral Bay) and in Santa Flavia - Palermo (Domina Zagarella Sicily), even if the review is disappointing, annoying or even incandescent, the response must always be polite and professional: “You may be tempted to respond harshly, but it is always better not to lose sight of the fact that hundreds (or even thousands) of potential customers will read your response”. HOW TO REACT TO A HARASSING AND DISRESPECTFUL COMMENT OR ATTITUDE Emotional disappointment is natural and obvious to Chef Butticé: “But you have to learn to take inspiration from negative reviews to raise the standard of your offering. The secret is to ask yourself whether the guest has been understood or whether their expectations have been disappointed. And, if that is the case, there is always the possibility - if the reviews turn out to be specious and offensive - to initiate procedures for removal, in some cases with the help of professionals”. WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED THROUGH SUCH PLATFORMS “There has to be some sort of cross-check on who is doing the reviews with who has actually been to the venue and paid a bill,” Murray further argues. In short, the web identity of users should become mandatory to review and narrate their experiences. This would allow booking platforms to also develop systems to reduce the risks of no-show, i.e. guests not arriving at the restaurant. In addition, many entrepreneurs ask these platforms to set a minimum fee to the reservation in case it is cancelled less than an hour in advance. Well, we are faced with tools that have a double edge: on the one hand they allow the outlet to improve itself, to increase its business or to understand what is not working. Unfortunately, however, there is still a need for a control tool that manages the flow of comments, selecting them so that they do not harm the work of entrepreneurs who, all too often, are the target of serial haters or people who, perhaps, have nothing else to do in life! ________________________________ BOX Managing comments with apps The best customer is the one who has had a positive experience but rarely leaves a review. “The one who had a bad night, on the other hand, does leave a review,” say Plateform, an app that helps the sector by asking everyone’s opinion, automatically, systematically and punctually, instead of the restaurateur. Qualitando is also excellent and, with its constant digital presence, works on timely communication both online and offline.