For those of us who’ve been in the restaurant business for sometime, we’ve all been served a piece of humble pie a time or two (or three!). But what defines us is how we deal with negativity that is par for the course in this subjective service industry.

Bad reviews, negative press, customer grievances, and the like are never a pleasure to read or hear, but there are lessons to be learned IF you’re willing to put your ego aside and listen, analyze, and make necessary changes in order to better your business. Take note.

“We’re transparent about who we are and what we do,” says Dan Simons, VSAG founder and Farmers Restaurant Group co-owner, when speaking to The Huffington Post recently on the topic of his management style of responding directly to the consumer in the face of negativity in order to strengthen that core relationship – and come out stronger.

Dan went on to say, “When we make a mistake, I want to know about it, take responsibility for it, and correct it. I acknowledge that with the wide range of difficult things our team tries to accomplish every day, and in our refusal to use chain-restaurant methodology to simplify and dumb things down, that we’ll fall short sometimes. I’m proud of our people who do the detailed, complex work that it takes to serve our guests every day.”

Our VSAG team has been vocal about our efforts to guide clients in neutralizing negativity. First and foremost, we believe you need to Get Out in Front, protecting your brand and reputation immediately with finesse. Don’t lash out, but do address the validity of issues concisely and honestly…with customers directly.

We love to see Dan out in front, defending our clients, their core brand messaging, and their customers. But…hell yeah, it sometimes calls for a taste of that humble pie, but it’s always worth that first bite!

To read the full article on The Huffington Post, click here.

*logo: The Huffington Post.