The culinary industry thrives on word-of-mouth. It takes more than a restaurant’s advertising campaign to bring customers in, as hearing about a great little burger joint from a friend of a friend goes a long way in bringing in business.

As the name implies, the service industry relies on its delivery ability. When people hear about great service, they flock to experience it for themselves. In contrast, when people find out that there is much to be desired in the food or service,e they are less likely to ever go in the first place.

The truth of our modern digital age is that information can be spread very rapidly. Because of our technology, negative information is spread just as rapidly. Knowing how to handle negative reviews online is extremely important.

In the past, a bad restaurant review would be printed in a circulated newspaper, giving you little opportunity to respond. In fact, the traditional way to address a review was to invite the food critic to return. Now, with numerous sites like Yelp and Urbanspoon not only can customers post their experiences, but the restaurants can also respond to those reviews.

As a restaurant owner, you have very limited control over what someone says online, but you do have control over how you handle bad publicity. Fortunately, this builds positive rapport with restaurantgoers, which has the potential to turn any negative attention into an opportunity to strengthen credibility within the hospitality industry.

Take a deep breath

The natural response to being attacked is to defend yourself quickly. The problem here is that a quick response means you did not spend a lot of time thinking it through. Before you respond to any criticism, stop, take a deep breath, and walk away. Give yourself a day to think it through and sleep on it. When you have had sufficient time to flush out your angry adrenaline, you can return to dealing with the criticism.

Accept the criticism for what it is

Whether a critique is good or bad, accept it for the opportunity that it presents to grow and develop. A gleaming customer review points out where the strengths are in your experience. If they loved the way their steak was cooked, then you know you’ve got a chef doing something right in your kitchen; if they liked the service, then you probably have a waiter or waitress who could teach the other members of the staff a few things.

The common belief when reading a negative review is that it is exaggerated. While it is certainly true that people have a tendency to blow things out of proportion, don’t immediately dismiss a negative review because you think it may have been exaggerated. Instead, carefully consider what was said. Did they complain about a particular server, was the restaurant too noisy, or maybe their dinnerware was dirty.

Ask the server in question if they remember the customer and the incident. You could also turn down the music in your dining room. Dirty dishes might indicate that a dishwasher, man, or machine needs attention.

Be cool and respond

After you have had some time to handle the problem yourself, it is time to respond to the criticism. Most review sites offer a way for businesses to respond by posting to the same review board or by personally contacting the people posting reviews.

Don’t open a response with an attack. Instead, apologize, thank the person for coming, and offer your sincere wishes to address the concern and improve their experience if they choose to return. If the situation is about to escalate into an internet nuclear war, just walk away. Getting involved in a confrontation almost always makes your business look like the bad guy. Be polite, apologize, and let it go.

Don’t just focus on the negative

Handling bad reviews can be a bit time-consuming. However, if you spend all your time dealing with complaints, this is a sure sign that something in your business plan needs to be seriously evaluated. Even if you try to address the situation and offer amends, some people just want to vent their anger, and others can never be appeased.

It’s easy to be distracted by negative comments and reviews, but don’t let them monopolize your time. If a customer leaves a good review, thank them for the experience and for taking the time to write it.

By taking the time to relax and address concerns with a clear mind, you’ll show that your business is not only professional but also cares about its customers.