BEWARE! Food critics are everywhere!

These days, everyone seems to think they’re a ‘critic’.

After trolling through the internet to get a feel for what people actually go online to write about, the one thing that seems to stand out is that we LOVE to complain. From social channels to actual review sites like TripAdvisor, people seem to use the internet to vent about pretty much everything.

“My issue is with the
keyboard warriors…”

Is it constructive? Not really. In fact, most of these ‘reviews’ seem to be out of vengeance. Exactly how damaging are bad reviews?

It’s safe to say we have all been on at least one side of the equation. Either we have worked in a restaurant or we have eaten at one. Some of us may have even had the devine pleasure of both. The dining experience has significantly changed over the past decade for both parties.

Instead of enjoying a glass of wine and actually having a conversation over our meal, this has been replaced with constantly updating our social media newsfeeds with photos of what we’re about to eat, drink and eventually complain about.

As someone who has worked in restaurants and who enjoys to go out, maybe a bit more than I should, I long for the days before facebook, instagram and twitter; the days when food reviews were left to the professionals. It seems as though every single person that dines at a restaurant these days feels they are entitled to review.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a tendency to be quite the picky customer. I will say something if there is lipstick on my wine glass or if my steak is not cooked to perfection and this is acceptable. What I do find an issue with is when nothing is said at the table. No restaurant is perfect. Everyone has a bad day and as a customer you never really know what’s gone on. You should never feel guilty about sending something back to the kitchen, making the management aware of bad service or a meal that is not to your liking. After all, you are paying to eat there.

My issue is with the keyboard warriors, the people who choose not to say anything at the table but wait until they have left. This eliminates the opportunity for the restaurant to fix the problem. Chances are, if you voice your complaint whilst at the table, it will be addressed. Mistakes happen.

In this day and age, online reviews can have a detrimental effect on a business. Do you really want to be the person who causes an independent to close down? The industry is tough enough. Next time, give the restaurant a fighting chance.