Nobody leaves a bad review because of a mistake

The Summer Rush

Right now, your F&B operation is probably feeling like a high street restaurant in the week before Christmas. Everyone's busier than they'd like to be, standards are being stretched, and your team's running on adrenaline and determination.

I get it. I've been there.

Here’s what I've learned after fifteen years operating in hospitality: nobody leaves a bad review because of a mistake, they leave reviews based upon how we respond.

Getting it wrong... and making it worse

We've all seen it happen. A restaurant gets slammed with a bad review about slow service and cold food. Fair enough; mistakes happen when you're busy.

But then you read the review more carefully. The customer didn't just complain about the food. They complained about being ignored when they tried to get help. About feeling dismissed when they mentioned the problem. About leaving feeling like nobody actually cared.

The mistake wasn't the cold meal. The mistake was nobody asking if everything was alright.

The Recovery Effect

There's something fascinating that happens in hospitality when we put things right. It’s almost a better experience when we handle a mistake brilliantly; customers often leave more satisfied than if nothing had gone wrong in the first place.

Think about it; when someone's genuinely surprised by exceptional service recovery, they don't just remember the original problem was fixed. They remember how you made them feel.

I've seen members become the most loyal advocates for clubs that turned their bad experience into something memorable...

The Three Step Response

Over the years, I train a simple approach that works every time:

Acknowledge immediately. Don't wait for the complaint to reach you through official channels. Train your team to spot the signs; the member who's gone quiet, the table that's taking longer than usual, the person who's not touched their food.

Take ownership completely. None of this "I'll speak to the chef" or "That's not normally how we do things." A simple "I'm really sorry, let me sort this out for you right away" works wonders.

Exceed expectations in the recovery. Don't just replace the cold meal; make sure the hot one comes with a genuine apology and perhaps a complimentary dessert. Don't just fix the problem; create a positive memory.

Your peak season opportunity

As we navigate through this busy period, remember that every mistake is a chance to demonstrate your club's true character. Your members aren't expecting perfection; they're expecting you to care enough to make things right.

The clubs that understand this don't just survive peak season; they use it to build stronger relationships with their members.

Because nobody leaves a bad review because of a mistake. They leave reviews based on how we respond.

How does your club handle service recovery during busy periods? I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments below.

Want to assess how your F&B operation stacks up during peak season? Take our Success Scorecard at hospitalityingolf.scoreapp.com and get a clear picture of where your strengths lie and what might need attention.