Woman's Family Leaves A 1-Star Review On Her Restaurant After She Refuses To Give Them A Discount
Is family always entitled to special treatment?
antoniodiaz / Shutterstock Running a small business is hard, especially when family adds to the pressure. It's natural to want to support family and help them out, but apparently not everyone feels the same way.
One restaurant owner experienced this firsthand when refusing to give her relatives a discount led to unexpected backlash online. Rather than supporting her business, they chose to jeopardize it by leaving a 1-star review that had nothing to do with the food.
A woman's relatives left a negative review on her restaurant's Google page because she didn't give them a discount on their food.
In a since-deleted Reddit post, the restaurant owner explained that she opened a street food stand after graduating from culinary school. She said she had been working hard and saving money for years before she was finally able to make it happen.
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The first week it was open, two of her cousins and an aunt showed up. Naturally, she was happy to see them and assumed they were there to support her business. They ordered a large amount of food, more than enough for three people. Nice, right? Not exactly.
When she tried to give them the bill for the food, they just laughed. She wrote, "I tried to explain that this is my actual job now, and everything I make goes back into keeping the stall running." The relatives did end up paying, however, her aunt gave her a lot of attitude, saying, "Well, I guess success went to your head. Thought we were closer than that."
A few days later, the owner noticed that someone had left a 1-star review on her business's Google page, and the account was linked to her cousin's email. The review said "overpriced and rude service."
The woman was encouraged to respond to the review and explain the situation.
This woman's dilemma is not unique, sadly. Family will often try to use their relationships to get free or close to free services. It's no different than calling your cousin the mechanic, looking for a better deal or a favor when it comes to new tires. And while it's super nice to have an "in," there should never be an assumption of free services just because you share blood. This is especially true if your family members are just starting out and struggling to get by!
Erica B. McCurdy, managing member of Purpose Point Coaching and McCurdy Solutions Group, made an interesting point, however, in discussing this topic with Ladders. She said, “In most cases, it may not even have occurred to those who are asking that they have crossed a professional line. It becomes the responsibility of the professional to set the boundary.” That's not always an easy task, but business coach Lindsay Anvik offered a unique solution. She told the outlet that to set a boundary while keeping familial relationships intact, institute a friends and family discount. “This sets a clear boundary for friends and family, but still offers them a special rate,” Anvik explained. “Make this slightly less than your regular fee, but still enough so you won’t lose money.”
In this woman's case, however, the damage has already been done. Many commenters suggested finding a way to reply to the review, or even to get it taken down. One user said, "I’d make sure to respond to that review if you can, explain to the public it was your family…people that love you will happily pay full price and tip well to support you."
Overall, commenters recognized the restaurant owner's hard work and dedication, claiming that the relatives might be jealous or resentful. Another user wrote, "The family was way out of line and rude, but it seems they are clearly ignorant as well. In their mind someone with their own business must be rich and couldn’t be farther from the truth with a food cart."
It's certainly easy to point the finger at this woman's family for acting mean and entitled, but when feelings are hurt, people can act impulsively without ill will. No, that doesn't make it right, but chances are, had this woman thrown in an extra side or just a small discount, her family would have probably left glowing reviews and helped bolster the business.
Opening a food stand is no easy task, and it can be a lengthy and expensive process.
Starting any kind of restaurant business in the U.S. requires you to have a clear plan and a substantial amount of capital. Clover, a merchant services business, said that "Starting a food stand can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to several tens of thousands of dollars." For a recent college grad, that's significant.
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You'll also need to obtain the proper permits and licenses for your state, which can greatly affect startup costs. Depending on your area, it can take a few weeks to a few months to get all the necessary materials. Digital menu provider Menu Tiger stated that "the projected time frame for a food truck to break even ranges from six months to two years," depending on various factors.
Think about this, however. She could have said to her aunt, "You guys can absolutely get this meal for free today, but in return, I'd love a review or a social media post raving about the experience." Advertising certainly has value after all. In the meantime, she should definitely set up a friends and family rate to ensure this doesn't happen again in the future, and she should absolutely have a heart-to-heart with her family members to clear the air. Family can be a great asset when you are just starting out, and burning those bridges isn't worth it.
This restaurant owner should be proud of the work she put in to achieving her goal. This is just a small hiccup that can easily be remedied. Instead of letting it derail her new adventure, she should view it as valuable business experience.
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
