[paulandjean]

No I do not think restaurant read "TOTV",why should they.

[jtdraig]

Actually, I make it a point to talk to the manager of new restaurants to tell them about TOTV...It is always a good thing to watch your back for both the good things and the negative things that are posted.

[Mack184]

If they are part of a chain they most probably do. Corporations have whole armies of people who scan social media and then post on various sites like FarceBook, Twitter, Timblr, You-Tube and so on. It has become a major arm of their marketing.

Now comes the next part, and I guarantee that you won't like it. And don't get all crazy and shoot the messenger, but I speak the truth..

Since you are in what is commonly reffered to in the advertising business as the "50 To Dead" demo Y-O-U don't count. What you think..what you want absolutely DOES NOT MATTER to these big chains. They are looking for 25-45 and 25-54 demos. Emphasis on the lower numbers.

Those in the 50+ demo have the LARGEST AMOUNT OF DISPOSABLE income of any demo, and they don't care about you.

Media buyers and media researchers are pretty muched aged 21-38. They are the ones making the choices, the policy and who and what they care about. You don't fit into their marketing scheme.

I have spent nearly 40 years in radio and I know how hard it is to attract advertisers into this very lucrative demo. But you can't tell that to a 30-something. They think you are old, dull, boring & cheap. They cannot conceive of you being vital.

They are the ones reading the social media, they are the ones making the ad buys and setting policy. It's a losing battle.

So..the best way for you to make your concerns known is to do it LOCALLY. The local manager or franchisor is relying on YOUR dollars. it is the only way for you to get a good result from your concerns.

[ohhappyday]

Originally Posted by crummybuttons

We all have complaints about quite a few restaurants in The Villages. I was wondering how many of the Restaurants actually read these reviews about them. Also, if you have a complaint, do you make it known to the restaurant? Maybe we should tell them about talk of the villages...

I generally make it known to the corporate office and let it trickle back down. Not that it happens very often. I think I've gone that route twice. There are definite differences in the way restaurants handle things. And basically if its something that can be resolved there do it or let the higher ups know so that the restaurant owner / manager ends up finding out and takes appropriate steps.

[Mimivillager]

I have talked to a restaurant owner who definitely reads TOTV

[Villages PL]

When business is good, restaurants generally don't lose sleep over the one or two "oddball" complainers. Years ago The Wall Street Journal had a great article with the following heading: "Customers Go Out The Door When Success Goes To Your Head."

The article gave all the common stages of the restaurant business, from start-up to decline.

[Heartnsoul]

Originally Posted by crummybuttons

We all have complaints about quite a few restaurants in The Villages. I was wondering how many of the Restaurants actually read these reviews about them. Also, if you have a complaint, do you make it known to the restaurant? Maybe we should tell them about talk of the villages...

may be a good idea but do you think they will really read it? We could try I guess

[The Flash]

Maybe we should just not go to them if we have a complaint. Leaves less waiting time for me to get a table.

[dude175]

Originally Posted by batman911

My experience with local vendors is that they are aware of TOTV and, from discussions I have had with some of them, do monitor what is said about their businesses. I would if I owned a local business, just to keep in touch with my customers.

I use TOTV for a guide of where to dine, and I thank folks for being honest about their experiences. You can usually read between the lines if people are the 2%'s by their posts and the following comments. I also use the State Health Dept link that a member posted, and no longer eat at one place after reading about all the cockroaches and other violations.