A few months ago I reviewed a local restaurant on Yelp.com, something I try to do as often as I can especially with local spots as I am a huge proponent of supporting my neighborhood businesses. Most, if not all of my purchasing is from locally owned stores and I don’t patronize chains any more often than I have to. The great part is that most of the local restaurants are actually not bad at all, and a few are pretty good – particularly when one considers the neighborhood. Now, if you aren’t afraid of authentic Jamaican jerk chicken, which I most certainly am not, then there are a couple of incredible spots right here on my block. In fact, I pretty much live with that heavily spiced aroma, reminiscent of the islands most of the time.
So there’s this place about a block away from me with a pretty well rounded American style menu and lots of red wines. When I initially moved here I figured it would be my go-to spot for dinner based on menu and proximity. Unfortunately I had some of the most god awful service I have ever experienced there. I even gave the place multiple tries but finally gave up after feeling completely ignored. It was the first and only time so far that I felt compelled to write a less than positive review. I felt kind of bad for writing it, but I also didn’t want others to have to waste time and money as I did, and isn’t that the point of Yelp anyway? If you like you can read my review here.
So a month or so after I wrote the review, a newly hired manager of the place contacted me through Yelp and said he was trying hard to improve the quality of service. He asked if I would come in for dinner with a friend, on the house, just to see that he had really made some changes. I was impressed and of course curious – so I agreed and last night my neighbor Leah headed down the block and checked it out.
I can’t say that we received normal service since I felt like I was a restaurant critic as soon as I arrived. The staff waited on us hand and foot which was kind of weird but something I could totally get used to. Perhaps I’ve found a long lost callingas a reviewer? Man, I would so take that job.
Overall the food was extraordinary, the staff delightful and I didn’t see a single person I remembered from my initial visits a few months ago. This week I’ll write an update to my review and I will certainly be back to check it out again, but what an amazing example of social media and it’s real effects on the consumer. I spoke out, my voice was heard and in the end everyone wins. I have another delicious dinner option a block away. And you can bet I’ll be bringing my business to them in the future. The manager who contacted me even came to the restaurant while we were eating to shake my hand and ask me how I was. It was his night off. How cool is that?
Remember that movie, “Summer School” when “Chainsaw” wrote the sunglasses company and then wound up getting a free box of new ones?
Yeah, kind of like that…right? Well written, my dear!