A restaurant manager has been praised for his sensible response after his business came under fire from a series of one-star reviews online.
Jason Monteforte, of Plenty restaurant and bar in Mission Beach, Far North Queensland, took to Facebook to show three one-star reviews left by angry diners.
Mr. Monteforte did this to fight back and get his response, rather than just accepting the bad reviews and leaving them unanswered.
An angry customer said he had booked for five people but was denied a table on Saturday to celebrate a birthday as there was only a table for two booked in his name.
“The manager came out and was not helpful at all… He did not attempt to resolve the issue. We will not be returning,” the person who made the reservation said.
But Mr. Monteforte’s publication allowed him to present his version of the events.
“If you make a reservation for 2 people and show up with 5, on the busiest night of the week and what has essentially been our biggest night of the year so far, you’re likely to be disappointed,” he wrote.
‘After spending over 10 minutes discussing and providing you with options to suit your needs, which you chose not to accept, we would appreciate it if you did not go down the path of telling lies and attempting to damage the reputation of a quality local business.’
The manager of Plenty restaurant and bar (pictured) has been praised for his sensible responses to several one-star reviews the business received online.
The person who made the reservation said (pictured): “The manager came out and was not helpful at all… Did not try to resolve the issue. We will not be returning.”
In his post, the manager also shared a photo of an online booking form showing a request for two people.
“As you can see, you’re not even able to get your facts straight when you leave scathing reviews about a company that were essentially the result of your own shortcomings,” he said.
Mr Monteforte added: ‘We regret that your birthday celebration left much to be desired, but we cannot take full responsibility for the outcome and we did everything we could to resolve the problem.
‘Rating a meal you didn’t even try, rating an atmosphere you chose not to enjoy and then rating our service, after going out of our way to try to please you, is truly an appalling act.’
His frank and unwavering response has been praised by many other customers, and also by the Wandering Panda Coffee Van, who applauded him for calling out “keyboard warriors.”
The manager was careful in his response to acknowledge what he called the restaurant’s “valued customers” and point out what they get for their money.
“As you know, here at Plenty Restaurant and Bar we offer an exceptional level of customer service, the highest quality food and menu selections, and a serene and beautiful ambiance and atmosphere that makes us a very popular dining venue and destination,” Monteforte wrote.
Her honesty in the face of some bad reviews while showing appreciation for the vast majority of customers paid off, with some of them coming to her defense.
“I love the food and exceptional service at Plenty Restaurant and Bar. We are so lucky to have such a quality restaurant in our area,” wrote one.
“Amazing food and service,” said another.
The restaurant manager said that bad online reviews (like the one pictured) were “a horrible act.”
A third wrote: ‘The food at Plenty Restaurants has always been fantastic, as has the entertainment, and the staff are wonderful – they’ve always tried to please.’
Others, however, pointed out the difficulty caused by bad reviews, even if they are justified.
“Good luck trying to get rid of a negative review. It will stay there forever, no matter how wrong it is,” one person wrote.
It’s a shame about their star ratings, though, but Wandering Panda Coffee Van noted that “most people take these reviews with a grain of salt and will read on to find out how amazing you guys are.”