Rant: Who Sent You?

The restaurant industry is difficult, especially in these tough economic times. Restaurants need all the help they can get to survive. Consumers have so many choices and restaurants must compete and try to stand out. Restaurants seek out ways to draw in new customers and it can be tough to know what works and what doesn't.

Before dining out, a significant number of people will seek out restaurant reviews to assist in their decision of where to eat. There are certainly plenty of options to find reviews, from large crowd-sourced spots to individual blogs. However, the diners often won't tell the restaurant what brought them in. They eat in silence, their motivation an enigma. 

First, I know restaurant reviewers would appreciate knowing when people rely on their reviews and patronize certain restaurants. That helps them know that their work has been helpful to their readers. Second, the restaurants would also like to know the reasons why their customers first came to the restaurant, whether it was a review or some other reason.

What brings them through the doors for the first time? Did they read a review in The Boston Globe or Boston magazine? Did they read a blogger's review, like one of my own? Did they see a Facebook post or Tweet about the restaurant? Was it word of mouth from a friend? Knowing the answer would immensely help restaurants determine the best ways to attract new customers.

A small number of customers do speak up and it's well appreciated by the restaurants. When I used to write a local newspaper column with restaurant reviews, some of my readers would subsequently check out a restaurant I reviewed and tell the owners it intrigued them to visit. The owners were pleased to know the reasons for the increased traffic, and it helped them understand how many people read the local newspaper. With my blog, I know some of my readers have done the same, telling the restaurants that I recommended them. 

I would appreciate more of my readers telling the restaurant they patronize that they had followed my recommendations. I'm sure other reviewers would appreciate this the same. Let your voice be heard, and it will cost you no more than a few moments of your time. In this regard, maybe more restaurant servers could ask new customers what led them to dine at the restaurant. Restaurants need every edge they can get to survive. 

Tell them who sent you.