“These have to be some of the worst experiences I’ve had at a restaurant. It is, by far, the most overrated restaurant I’ve been to.”
“Unfortunately, the food itself is horrific. So bad, in fact, that my fiancée and I left after just 8 of the 25-or-so courses.”
“It’s my saddest experience in my Michelin star’s restaurant journey! I mean, even the bathroom looks like a gas station one!”
“The food was bland and one-toned… As if they just treated all the dishes in the same smoker…The experience was way too long; I couldn’t wait for it to be over. The staff doesn’t speak English, except for one, and he barely spoke to us.”
“As we entered the restaurant, we were quite shocked by the location. The space is narrow, badly decorated, and lit with no bar to have a drink while waiting for your table. Not really engaging while departing for a gourmet dinner experience.
We were seated near the open kitchen which was nice apart from it being freezing cold, we had to dine with our jackets on the entire time.
The lighting is strong and unpleasant for such a dining experience.”
These are real reviews from the top 10 restaurants in the world. Of the tens of millions of restaurants out there, these are reviews from some of the best chefs on the planet.
And yet, people found a way to complain.
It’s not possible to make everyone happy.
There are people out there who, no matter how hard you try, just won’t like you—you, your business, your service.
Accept it.
It doesn’t mean, as a business owner, you should be lazy and say, “Eh, I can’t please everyone.”
That’s the easy way out.
Re-read the reviews.
While some people are clearly unhinged, there are some areas of improvement.
Sometimes, the complainers have a point.
What can you do?
- Always Ask for Feedback: Ask for feedback from everyone – whether they were happy or pissed off. Regular feedback means you’re constantly hearing areas of improvement.
- Learning from Criticism: Use harsh reviews as a learning opportunity. What are these reviews really saying? Is there a common theme? Address these points in your operations or service delivery to prevent future complaints.
- It’s Not Always a Match: Recognize that sometimes a client’s needs and your business’s offerings just don’t align. Sometimes, you have to fire a client or just accept that some people can’t be pleased.
Your turn. What is your favorite “It’s not me. It’s you” story?
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