Pakistanis are a community with a sweet tooth; this is evident by the large number of restaurants across the country. There is great diversity and variety in dishes, such as barbeque, seafood, ethnic food and fast food. However, despite the large customer base, every restaurant isn’t successful. It takes great effort to get good restaurant ratings from customers. This is why many restaurants fail. This leads to a loss of employment opportunities and diminishing business, which is bad for the industry.
The restaurant industry has greatly contributed to Pakistan’s economy as a part of the hospitality industry. During 2017- 2018 when Pakistan’s GDP was at its highest in 13 years, the hospitality industry had a great role as a part of the service sector.
Since restaurants are a major part of our GDP, they also significantly contribute towards employment in the country. As of 2014 -2015, the restaurant sector employed 37.7% of the workforce. This rose to 40.9% in 2017- 2018. This contribution to GDP and employment shows how important the restaurant industry is for Pakistan. However, as I mentioned earlier, not every restaurant thrives in this competitive environment. This is because the world is changing; the same is true for consumer preferences. Since consumers are king, their verdict plays a key role in the survival of any business.
Also Read: Biryani- A Common Attraction Of Restaurants In Karachi
Let us see why restaurants fail because of bad ratings and how restaurants can turn the tide around and have customers and crowds rushing toward them.
Reasons For Bad Restaurant Ratings
During the COVID era, some 100,000 local restaurants shut down countrywide. However, there are other reasons why restaurants shut down; these reasons include
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Bad Customer Service
Customer service is a key element of any business. There is an adage which goes that the customer is king. And when you have a king as your guest, you treat them like one. The same goes for your customers.
You may have a great line of dishes and cuisines with superior taste. However, it is all useless if your staff isn’t courteous and supportive. Customer service is a notable aspect of restaurants in Karachi. -
Bad Choice Of Location
Location is important for successful restaurant marketing. If your location is far away from the city or in a low-go area, fewer customers visit your restaurant. Or even when they do, the journey is filled with hassles. This demotivates customers, and they spread bad word of mouth about your restaurant. This inevitably leads to bad ratings and reviews.
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Lack of experience
Yes, the restaurant business is promising, particularly in Pakistan. However, the major ingredient of success for a restaurant is taste. Yes, customers come for the aroma and experience; however, these are secondary reasons. The primary reason is to eat food. If your dishes don’t taste, you won’t have customers coming after a while. And those who come will rate your restaurant as one star and leave a negative review.
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Lack of brand personality and effective marketing
Marketing is a game of words. The goal is to get across your thoughts and message in a way which clicks into the customer’s mind. However, what is the point when your message and brand image don’t resonate with one image? This gives the customer a wrong impression, and he cannot comprehend your offerings. The goal of restaurant delivery is to deliver exactly what was promised to the customer. If you don’t, the customer faces disappointment, which means lower ratings for your business.
Why Good Restaurant Ratings Are Important
Restaurant Ratings are the way customers judge the worth of your restaurant. Ratings and reviews provide customers with a great deal of information about the taste of your dishes and the behaviour of your staff. It helps customers decide whether to visit your restaurant or not.
Also Read: 3 Must Eat Foods In Pakistan
Also, good ratings and reviews boost popularity and make your restaurant stand out. This helps with earned media and influencer marketing. For example, restaurants in Johar, such as Farhan biryani and naseeb biryani, are a constant vlogging point for food vloggers because of their popularity. These youtube blogs are a form of promotion and a great word-of-mouth strategy for your restaurant.
Tips To Increase Restaurant Ratings
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Invest in Your ambience.
The ambience is a great element of a successful restaurant. It adds to the overall value of your restaurant. The best way to improve your ambience is to keep the ambience clean at all times, use an air freshener, install chillers at specific locations and administer pest control at regular intervals.
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Hire Professional staff
The best way to keep customers coming to your restaurant is to deal with them with courtesy and professionalism. When customers deal with professional staff, they feel glad that their needs are addressed well and taken care of. This gives them delight, and they give a positive review whenever they write on any platform, such as food apps.
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Develop taste
Taste is a core element of any restaurant business. Bad taste means that a restaurant’s existence is in jeopardy. The good taste leaves the customer licking their fingers till the last bite. Taste comes with experience and experimenting. Hence, keep tasting and experimenting. Hopefully, you will find the perfect mix for your dishes one day.
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Offer Efficient Delivery
Food delivery service is on the rise, especially after the COVID era. Timely food delivery means satisfied customers. Hence the best thing is to deliver food on time and deliver it hot and ready to eat. Food applications have a rating option. Hence it’s a great platform to showcase your credibility and attract more customers.
The Ending Note
Ratings and reviews are a key part of any restaurant’s marketing strategy. They help project your brand in a positive light and attract more customers.
