One small restaurant sued a customer for false claims and defended their reputation on social media, all thanks to evidence from their surveillance system. A customer presented a coupon that was no longer valid. Despite the restaurant's attempts to help compensate for the misunderstanding, the customer left unhappy. As happens often these days, an unhappy customer took to social media sharing a less than accurate experience …
The customer is not always right and this restaurant was savvy enough and determined enough to fight it, as can every restaurant, if they have the right tools and the right mind-set.
Social media has replaced traditional 'word of mouth'. With the desire to be 'seen' on social media and the ultimate success being the most views, comments and shares people are sharing everything on social from tall tales, to fake news to exaggerated experiences that play into the shock factor.
From fake fried rodents to insulting cups to discriminating marketing, brands like Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds and Starbucks have also fallen prey to false and exaggerated claims on social media. No establishment is protected. While at first they could put a location or brand in a negative light its how these claims are handled that matters.
Fairness and irrefutable proof are the best tactics to handle these incidences. Maintain your credibility and show potential customers watching on social media that you care and are attentive with accurate facts and fair resolutions.
Restaurants need to be armed with savvy video surveillance tools so they can easily review incidents and provide evidence to the contrary. So put your video to work! An intelligent video system does more than just record what happens at your location. Triggered alerts for temperature and motion, remote auditing, app-based video access and more put managing and protecting your business literally in the palm of your hand.
In this day and age, the customer may not always be right. With customers using social media and brand awareness to cause a ruckus, restaurants need to be prepared to quickly respond, resolve and carry on.