It’s no secret that Groupon attracts many restaurants who want to use their service for increased customer traffic. However, below is a screenshot of multiple Yelp reviews from one restaurant that wasn’t ready for the influx of new customers that Groupon would bring. I blurred out the restaurant’s name as there is no point in causing more bad press.
These poor reviews were from customers who received poor service because the restaurant was not properly staffed from the influx of Groupon users. The last review sums it all up. It is from the waiter himself;
“”We are really slammed because of that groupon….”
Nuff said.
Before using Groupon to give your restaurant more exposure, ask yourself one simple question; “Am I prepared to handle the large influx of customers who choose to redeem the Groupon vouchers simultaneously?”
If not, be prepared to face the following consequences;
- Loss of a repeat customer
- Angry customer who will tell her network and share her experience offline and online
- Angry customer who will share her review on Yelp or any other review-driven portal for restaurants and drive away other potential diners.
Given that Yelp is the defacto site for foodies to do their homework before dining out, I know those list of reviews that shows up near the top will drive away a certain amount of potential new customers.
I know the owner of this restaurant and he is a marketing savvy restaurant owner. He works hard to build his business and pours 60+ hours into the business. He, like, many restaurant owners only consider the advantages to using Groupon. But as these Yelp reviews show, there is a major downside if you don’t prepare for it.
