Electric pioneers new online reviews

With restaurants, hotels and other service providers worldwide growing weary of malicious anonymous online reviews, a Cork restaurant is pioneering a new system that helps to generate genuine restaurant reviews by customers.

It means restaurant managers can track who the customer was, what they ate and even which member of staff served them.

With management able to read many of the reviews within 12 hours of service – and immediate alerts sent out if a poor review comes through - problems can be solved immediately or relevant staff praised for their efforts.

A new system developed by award-winning feedback group Feefo and online reservation and table management firm Restaurantdiary has been tested by Electric Cork with positive results.

Electric Cork is the first restaurant to use the new system and have picked up a 97 per cent positive rating.

Restaurant Manager Triona Hennessy said: “I am delighted with the Feefo feedback as it mirrors what I hear on the floor.

“It also has meant that when we do get negative feedback we can trace the customer from their booking with its requests, to what table they sat on, who served them, what they purchased before we respond to them and speak with relevant people on the floor or in the kitchen who the feedback highlights.”

Owner Ernest Cantillon was also impressed by the system. He said: “The frustration with TripAdvisor was wearing us down. Now we have no more negative autopsies over poor reviews which took a lot of time and we lacked the necessary information to fix.

“As most people write their reviews in the morning and I can read it on my iPhone, it helps set the agenda for the day if needed.” The system also allows Electric to respond to the comments after customers post comments.

Electric Cork’s 97 per cent rating was achieved from 92 reviews. Check http://www.electriccork.com/n-e-w-s/2012/08/06/feefo-customer-feedback-trials/ to see reviews.