1. Be polite. No one wants to be the owner/manager/employee who lashes out at an unhappy guest. There are countless examples of letting anger take hold, but the results are always the same: it’s embarrassing, gets bad PR, and can ruin your brand image. The best thing to do when someone has a complaint, but has already left the restaurant, is to take the conversation offline, and privately message them and resolve the situation out of the public eye. If someone is still at the restaurant, approach the guest and see what can be done to rectify the situation.
2. Respond. It’s very easy to set up a social media account, use it for a while, and then ignore it for long periods of time. The problem with ignoring social media platforms is that guests can still be interacting with an establishment, and feeling like they’re being ignored. This result is the opposite of what social media should be! Try to always respond to check-ins and comments, even if it’s just a quick “thank you!” It’s a small step to lasting relationships with guests.
3. Consistent communication. When a company decides to set guest expectations with a Facebook or Twitter promotion, front-of-house staff members must know about the promotion. Brand equity is damaged at the customer level when a server is not knowledgeable or the kitchen is not prepared.
4. Facebook is not Twitter. Don’t use Facebook as an extension of Twitter or vice-versa. Take advantage of Twitter’s fast moving feed and Facebook’s new 5000 character limit and the ability to post photos and videos.
5. Last, be aware of current events. Understand trending topics and the purpose of hashtags. Do not be the next Kenneth Cole #Cairo debacle.