So, while scrolling down my Twitter feed, I found this piece from http://crushmag-online.com.

It obviously resonates with me because I love doing online reviews, in fact my blog comprises of a lot of reviews and my opinion on restaurants that I hope are not offensive to restaurant owners.

I know I have written a blog on The Perfect Review, I have to sometimes wonder if I am being too offensive or I just came on a bad day etc. So this made the most sense to me when it comes to reviewing, it’s your opinion but it doesn’t need to sound like a 2 hour rant.

Number one: Do you understand the restaurant’s concept?

Is there something particular about the way this restaurant does certain things? Would this mean they serve food in a way that slightly different to what you’re used to? Do you get the concept? If you don’t get it, then chances are you’re not going to enjoy your evening.

Number two: Did the kitchen make fundamental mistakes or simply do something that doesn’t appeal to you?

Example: Did they serve steak with an unusual sauce; a combination that you haven’t tried before and it doesn’t quite tickle your fancy? Did they serve a steak that was not cooked to your request (rare, medium-rare, etc)? Or, was the food rotten or did you see rats in the kitchen? Do you see the difference? The choice of an unusual sauce pairing isn’t really something you should complain about, partly because someone, be it the chef or owner, approved the dish. They like it and they stand behind it. The steak not being cooked properly is a fundamental mistake, something that you can most definitely complain about. Same with rotten food and vermin in the kitchen, these are things that you are certainly within your rights to complain about. You’re entitled to your opinion, but is it fair to slate the restaurant based on a personal flavour dislike?

Number three: Did you follow the appropriate and fair channels of complaint?

Did you tell the waiter there was a problem with your food? Did you speak to the manager? Did you give the restaurant a chance to defend themselves, as well as attempt to improve your experience? If you didn’t speak up in the moment, then your criticism is a little unfair.

Number four: Were you in a good mood when you dined at the restaurant?

Seriously, answer this question for yourself. You’d be surprised at how many patrons take their moods out on restaurants. Similarly, was there something else that annoyed you, like the service, for example? While bad service is absolutely inexcusable, sometimes it can impact your overall judgement and cause you to unfairly critique the food.

Number five: How would you feel if someone treated you that way in your place of work?

Would you go up to your dentist and tell them that they don’t know what they’re doing? How would you feel if a random person came up to you and told you that you don’t know how to do the job that you’ve committed your life to?

Number six: Do you really, like really really, know what you’re talking about?

Are you the type of diner who only eats steak cooked rare? Well, there are many cuts of meat that need to be cooked to medium rare or even medium, because of factors such as marbling and sinew. If you order something like a rib eye rare, it can sometimes be chewy and tough to get through. That chewiness isn’t the chef’s fault though, as you chose that ‘doneness’. Or, if the chef insists that you eat the steak at a certain temperature, because they know what a difference it makes to it, and you just dismiss it because it’s not the way you want it cooked? Giving them a negative review based on that is a little unfair. Can you confidently say that you understand the dish you’re being served more than the chef who sent it out?

Number seven: Do you understand the consequences that your review might have for a restaurant?

Do you realise that this is someone’s business and that your review may tarnish their reputation permanently? Did your food or dining experience warrant you publically dragging someone’s name through the mud? You are fully entitled to your opinion, but are you addressing it fairly?

Number eight: Was the food actually inedible, or just not what you expected?

Did you order a burger hoping that it was going to be a good, honest burger or were you expecting it to blow you away with smoke, tricks and magic? Sometimes, food doesn’t need to sing and dance for it to be deemed good. High-quality ingredients often don’t need a lot of fiddling with. If you ordered a classic cheeseburger and are annoyed that it was just that, albeit perfectly cooked, then maybe you’re eating at the wrong establishments. Because you expected something different is it fair to bash someone’s business? See point number one, ask yourself, do you really get this restaurant’s concept?

Number nine: What is your end goal with this review?

Honestly, what do you really hope to achieve with the review? Do you want to stop every single person from ever eating there? Do you want to be reimbursed for your meal? Do you want a free meal? What is that you truly hope for by writing this review? If your review is based on missing fundamentals and you want the restaurant to know that they aren’t cooking certain things properly, then you should absolutely let them know this. But then again, you need to see all the points above and make sure that you know exactly what you’re talking about and you need to make an effort to talk to the establishment in the moment.

Number ten: Would you put in the same amount of effort if the meal was good?

More often than not, bad news spreads faster than good. So, if you feel warranted to write a negative review, do you then make sure that you put in the same effort to write a good one? People are so quick to write reviews about negative experiences but seldom write any good ones. Don’t be a troll. Be fair, and make sure that for every bad review you write, you write a good one for every positive experience.

My only advice to you is to follow the above steps. We need to make sure that we don’t use reviewing platforms like Zomato and Eat Out as our personal pages where we slander restaurants. Word of mouth is the most powerful tool when it comes to marketing and we, as consumers, have been blessed with this ever-powerful mechanism called the internet and social media, in particular.

The power is in your hands.Do what you want with it.