How to respond to a mixed 3-star review for restaurants
Three-star reviews are the easiest to turn around: the customer liked something and was let down by something else, and they're telling you which.
Step by step
- 1
Thank them and acknowledge what they enjoyed.
- 2
Address the part that disappointed them directly.
- 3
Explain what you'll do differently, in one sentence.
- 4
Invite them back to give you another try.
Something specific to restaurants
Food-safety complaints (illness, foreign objects) should move offline immediately. Never debate what the guest ate or how it was cooked in public.
- Common complaints
- slow service, a cold or wrong order, a noisy dining room
- Common praise
- the seafood pasta, the friendly service, the atmosphere
Example reply
The seafood pasta was great, but slow service really took away from it.
Thank you for the honest feedback. We're glad the seafood pasta stood out, and we're sorry slow service let the rest of the experience down. That's not the standard we aim for, and we're looking at how to fix it. We'd love the chance to give you a better visit next time. - The team at [Your restaurant name]
What to avoid
- ✕Only responding to the positive half
- ✕Over-apologising for minor issues
- ✕Making promises your team can't keep