Speak to any restaurant owner or manager, and they will tell you that their number one fear is ending up with a failing grade after their health inspection. This type of failing grade won’t just slow down your business; it might even lead to closing your doors permanently. However, for many, this is their reality. Therefore, the following list includes some helpful tips for bouncing back after a bad health inspection grade.
What the Scores Mean
When it comes to getting a bad grade after your health inspection, it can be easy to assume that your entire business needs to be fixed. However, this isn’t exactly how it works. Each infraction is a point, and each point affects the score. Add these together, and you end up with a summative letter grade. So, what’s the best way to approach your issues? You should have received a copy of all the infractions recorded. This will allow you to focus on the areas that need improvement without taking apart the areas of your business that are up to code and working.
The Aftermath
Health inspection records are public and can often spread quickly through your local news and or social media. Thus, you must be prepared for the aftermath of your bad score. One of the first things you must avoid doing is going into hiding. When you are unreachable, the public begins thinking that you have something to hide. The best approach is to be transparent. Take responsibility and demonstrate that you are taking the appropriate steps to improve your business.
Make Marketing a Priority
Once you’ve fixed all your issues, then it is time to begin ramping up on your marketing strategies. You may feel like you should camp out until the dust clears, but this only leads to the loss of more and more customers. Although it’s not a guarantee that you will earn back the respect of your customers, it is still important to show that you’re trying and who knows you might even gain more customers than before.
Make Things Right
One of the most common causes for a health inspector to be called in is when a patron has been reported to have gotten sick. A great way to demonstrate that you take responsibility for what happens is to make things right with that customer or set of customers. Reach out to them and offer them a refund or a free meal. Often times, this attempt at making things right can be enough to convert your customer into an advocate for your business.
You might not think it can happen to your business, but the restaurant industry is very unpredictable. Therefore, if you ever find yourself in this type of situation, it is best to adhere to the list of tips above.
If you need help with marketing your business after you’ve made changes, we can help. The Digital Restaurant team knows what it takes to advertise your restaurant online in a cost-effective manner. We can build a custom strategy that provides the best return on investment possible. Give us a call today to find out more.
