My Notes:
Hi all -- some good articles today. I love Jeffrey Summers' piece - it's a must read. And some lively discussion taking place on Bickell's blog about Yelp. Also a request for help from Michael -- a good PR opportunity to get picked up in an article so take a look at that as well.
All the best,
- Jaime
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NEW @ RUNNING RESTAURANTS
17 Hot Leadership Best Practices
- by Jeffrey Summers
Jeffrey rattles off a list of key leadership practices -- a list that every restaurateur needs to review. (read more...)
A Common Sense Approach To Your Brand Message
- by John Hendrie
It's not always easy constructing a brand message, but John wants to help get you there with ease by understanding the basic elements and how to position yourself effectively to your customers. (read more...)
Interview: Clark Frasier & Mark Gaier
Frasier and Gaier's restaurant, Arrows, in Ogunquit, Maine, has earned dozens of distinctions. The restaurant's exquisite cuisine, sweeping romance, rustic elegance, and environmental foresight has made it a favorite among patrons and critics. (read more...)
The Friars Take Philly
- by Marnie Old
A Belgian beer emporium in Philadelphia is a special stop for America's brew-loving pilgrims. (read more...)
Extraordinary Ice Creams
- by Suzanne Hall
Unusual flavors are the cool trend in ice cream. (read more...)
BICKELL'S BLOG & READER FEEDBACK
Bickell's last blog, Yelping Out Loud, drew a lot of terrific responses. You have to be sure to go to the feedback page because readers really took the time to add their thoughts and commentary to the discussion--both pro and con. And just today Bickell posted his follow up thoughts on the topic, entitled "Vigilante Justice" -- I've included that post below -- and it's also on the site at
http://www.runningrestaurants.com/articles/yelp.
Vigilante Justice????
I get it – it's the Internet and anything goes. The four letter words in Yelp reviews are perfectly acceptable. It's a fun thing and these people are having a ball (at the expense of the local restaurant community). Restaurants are fair game and the public can write anything they so desire, and I can tell you that negative reviews are infinitely more popular that the positive ones.
Just read #4 from Yelp's own advice for business owners...
"DON'T lash out at the people who have written negative reviews about you. Tempting as that may be, we see that backfiring in some cases as the Yelp community may up the ante and even engage in "vigilante justice" by spreading more negativity. Try to remember, "the customer is always right".
"Vigilante justice" from the Yelp writers – it does sound somewhat threatening. My question is how do we know that the writers are really customers, and guess what – the customer is not always right (a subject for another day). I could write a negative review on any restaurant in San Francisco and never even visit the City. What more do you have to know?
The various sites are basically all the same – the public provides the free and easy content, and the owners of the sites send bills to the restaurants (Yelp calls them sponsorships).
I will never understand how a responsible restaurant owner can support a concept that allows the public to bash his or her industry.
SEEKING HELP: Bottled Water Article
I would like to find several restaurants nationwide that have kicked off bottled water from their menu and those that have kept it on their menus. I am looking for several restaurants that would be willing to speak on the record for an article about the subject. Please contact me directly.
Thanks,
- Michael Cervin
sbwineman@hotmail.com
www.michaelcervin.com
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