The dichotomy of owl symbolism intrigues me. On one hand, there is this wise creature, who skilfully hunts their prey in the dark of night. They deliver messages and provide helpful assistance to their owners. But there is a darker side – the owl that is depicted in horror movies and can morph into a witch and cackle over a caldron!
As our binocular buddies swoop not just into our Halloween décor, but into our inboxes…I begin to wonder just how sinister these creatures may be. Tripadvisor hunts restaurants, dissects them into tiny pieces and then throws it online for the world to see. This owl’s prey frets and obsesses about the reviews which are published as if they are a matter of life and death!
However, the hindrance Tripadvisor can cause restaurant owners is heavily outweighed by the guidance it provides tourists globally. It is for this reason I urge food lovers and reviewers to use Tripadvisor effectively. Tripadvisor should have a dual action of being a helping hand to tourists globally while also a learning curve for restaurants!
1. Describe yourself: Your profile is important here – you can mention this subtly by stating who you dined with i.e a friend’s 30th birthday. This helps tourists relate to you to see if they would feel the same way.
2. Describe food, service and décor: These should occupy the main body of the review. Give an account of how each of these impacted your experience – this really helps restaurant management to find out what needs tweaking.
3. Be constructive: Steer away from whining and moaning –this gets us nowhere. Suggest room for improvement so that the management can take your opinion on board.
4. Be Honest: Write a review straight away so that your experience is fresh in your mind. It is amazing what you can forget after a few hours. If you want to go all out – bring a small notepad with you and jot down points throughout the meal. It is the detail that tourists are looking for to help them make the right choice when making a restaurant reservation.
5. Take a picture: A picture says a million words. If your kids coloured a picture, your cocktail is artistically presented or if your criticising food for being burnt. Use a picture to get the full story across
These five simple steps are a guideline to follow to make sure your review is as helpful as possible to both tourists and restaurants. There are no right and wrong when writing a review – give it a go and have fun with it!! Here at Luigi’s we are graced with good customers who do in fact give us great ratings here are a sample;
‘This is certainly a place for guys with big appetites, the portions are HUGE. Wings are soo tasty. 1st time my boyfriend left food behind, as he was so full – he went for the Ribs. Not overly pricy either
Great German draught beer for the guys too.’
We are also delighted that our Temple Bar restaurant was awarded a certificate of excellence. We understand that with good reviews come bad ones and that with awards come criticism and so we can take that with a pinch of salt. What we do appreciate is learning from Tripadvisor and our customers.
My next blog will carry on from this to discuss the pressures faced by restaurant owners to balance their labour costs to ensure things run smoothly while protecting their margin. This will compare the service industry in Ireland with that of the US to see if we could learn something from across the Atlantic and also provide hints and tips of great multitasking ideas!
Stay tuned, Aisling
