Some of the few things that will results in poor customer reviews of a restaurant may be not only bad food or bad service but also bad weather.
A study of 32 Florida restaurants that appeared online in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research discovered that customers left more negative remarks on comment cards on days when it is raining than on days when it was dry. In the study, the odds revealed patrons leaving negative comments versus positive comments were 2.9 times greater on rainy days.
The result of two other investigations the study did in other parts of the country suggested that unpleasant weather left people in bad moods, which was then connected to them having less favorable views about the restaurants they visited.
The author of the study and also the assistant professor of hospitality management at the Ohio State University, Milos Bujisic said that though restaurants can't control the weather and the problem may have nothing to do with the service or the quality of the food, the weather may affect how customer review them.
Bujisic stated further that even though the weather was not the essential factor in how customers reviewed their dining experience, it can't be ignored. The circumstance may appear quite trivial, but it is something that managers should pay close attention.
Investigators examined the comments cards left at the Florida restaurants in the first study, all part of the same national fast-casual chain. The rate of the research team on the comments was on a five-point scale from one (very negative) to five (very positive). Also, the researchers examined weather data from the National Climate Data Center for each location of the restaurant on the day's comment cards were left.
After they studied 14 different weather variables, the outcomes were that three were related to customer comments, rain, temperature, and barometric pressure. Florida has higher temperatures, and that means it is uncomfortably hot which has a connection with more negative comments.
Apart from the mood of the customers, Bujisic noted that bad weather might also affect the wait staff and others who serve the customers. She pointed out that a rainy day might put employees in a bad mood and that will affect their service. Managers may need to explain that to their employees and work to keep them motivated. Also, managers may strive to discover ways to boost the moods of customers during unpleasant weather. These creative strategies can come in the form of offering a free drink or playing more upbeat music.
