Hitting back at a recent customer review, one Dublin business owner has called for people to "be more tolerant and think before you write".
Times are tough for the hospitality industry. Already facing their second closure of the year, business owners are doing all they can to stay afloat and so having to deal with negative online reviews is almost certainly the very last thing they want to be doing.
Responding to one customer's feedback from a recent trip to his shop, Gerard Maguire - owner of 64 Wine Shop in Glasthule - hit back at the harsh comments asking for people to think before they write.
Dating back to earlier this week, the customer's main grievance seems to be with the fact that the shop doesn't "serve coffee even though they have a big coffee machine". The review reads:
"Very disappointed. While they present themselves as a friendly wine bar and cafe they don't serve coffee after 5:00pm (even on Friday and Saturdays). They have a great big coffee machine that I'm sure cost them a fortune but won't use it in the evenings."
Responding to the above, Mr Maguire wrote a lengthy response back - voicing his frustrations at the comments.
"I'm sorry that in a time as difficult for traders you have aired your displeasure on the hours we struggle to stay open through such a public forum.
"We value Tripadvisor and its impact on business. But more important to me is the safety of my customers and staff in these terrible times. We limit our hours based on the viability of our business and more importantly on my safety concerns.
"If you feel you can do it better or safer please call me and I'll give you the keys of the shop and the responsibility for the safety of the staff and my very valued and understanding customers."
Admitting that Trip Advisor ratings inevitably have an impact on business, Maguire later reshared the review on Twitter writing:
"I'm sorry but we are all doing our best & I know we could do better but not with the restrictions and limitations we operate in #Covid. Be more tolerant and think before you write."
https://twitter.com/64_Wine/status/1318925140034572288
Header image via Facebook/64 Wine
