Ordinami.itReviews are today's word of mouth: before trying a new place, almost everyone looks at stars and comments on Google. The paradox is that satisfied customers, who are the majority, rarely write: it's instinctive to review when you're angry. If you don't ask, your page tells a distorted version of your restaurant. Asking, however, must be done well, because the wrong request is annoying.
The right time to ask
There's a precise window: the peak of satisfaction. It's the moment of spontaneous compliments — "everything was delicious, compliments to the pizzaiolo" — or the table that gets up relaxed after dessert. There, a simple phrase works: "We appreciate it! If you feel like writing it in a review, it means a lot to us". Asking when the bill arrives at a quiet table, on the other hand, is a waste of time or worse.
Making it very easy
Between "I'll do it tonight" and the written review, there's the laziness of all of us. The rule is one: the customer must reach the review form in less than ten seconds. In practice:
- A QR code that takes you directly to Google's review page, on the receipt or presented with the bill.
- The staff indicating it naturally: "if you had a good time, you can leave a review from here in a minute".
- The link in the booking confirmation or thank-you message, for those who book online.
What to never do
- Buying reviews or having them written by friends and family: they can be recognized, violate platform rules, and a report can cost you dearly.
- Offering discounts in exchange for positive reviews: forbidden by platforms; you can invite to review, not buy the judgment.
- Insisting: one request is courtesy, two are pressure.
- Asking only "safe" tables with a conspiratorial attitude: the right tone is light, by invitation, not a personal favor.
Systematizing it
The flow of reviews shouldn't depend on the memory of the waiter on duty. With Ordinami's PRO plan, review collection is integrated into the digital menu: the customer already has their phone in hand because they browsed the menu from the QR code, and the invitation to leave a review comes in the natural flow, without anyone having to remember anything. If you want to see how it works, you can activate a trial and complete the process from your phone for €0.
What to expect
With a system in place, a restaurant with a good flow of customers typically goes from a handful of sporadic reviews to a constant flow every week. And volume counts double: more recent reviews mean more trust for those who discover you and more visibility in local searches. A single enthusiastic review is worth little if it's from eight months ago. Close the circle with your team: once a month, read the latest reviews together, because asking is half the job and showing that responses arrive is the other half.