Seaside restaurant owners have hit back at a scathing TripAdvisor review from two visitors who rated it as ‘terrible’ but didn’t even eat there.
Nadine and Simon Morriss, who run The Buoy and Oyster in Margate, Kent were shocked when they saw a one-star review from a user called ‘tinkerbell-pt’ from Lisbon.
The review titled ‘Empty… But asking for reservation?’ read: ‘We showed up at 12.30pm and asked if they had a table for two.
Nadine and Simon Morriss, who run The Buoy and Oyster in Margate, Kent
‘The waiter gave us a ‘uh’ attitude and whilst they checked their book we looked around and more than half of the restaurant was empty.
‘We got turned away with a ‘sorry no tables available only one outside at 2pm… excuse’.
‘I can only assume they weren’t in the mood to receive our money.’
But the husband-and-wife duo were quick to respond saying they were ‘disappointed’ with the negative and ‘unfair’ review.
They replied: ‘To receive a negative review for this is simply unfair, you are not ‘advising’ future diners about your experience of our restaurant you have simply vented your anger and tried to get revenge for us not having a table available for you immediately when you have strolled in on a busy, sunny weekend without a reservation.
‘As you said yourself we were already half full at 12.30pm, 30 minutes into our lunch service where we had 80 covers booked in, with advanced (sic) and staggered bookings throughout the afternoon.
The review was titled ‘Empty… But asking for reservation?’ Pictured: The Bouy and Oyster in Kent
‘Our trained and experienced restaurant staff do not expect to have to explain what we mean by ‘sorry we do not have a table available until 2pm to customers who have not booked but would have happily shown you our reservations diary had you asked for clarification.’
‘FYI we had lots of lovely customers book in for later tables, go off for a walk on the beach and a drink and return an hour later for an enjoyable lunch.
‘Sorry that you felt the need to rate your experience as ‘terrible’ and we hope that leaving this review made you feel better!’
Nadine, 27, and Simon, 30, said TripAdvisor can be a ‘dangerous tool’ for customers.
She said: ‘We’ve been open for two years, so TripAdvisor is a relatively new thing for us to deal with.
‘That particular review got that response because it’s one thing to get constructive criticism or feedback about the menu or staff, but it’s another when someone hasn’t even eaten in the restaurant.
‘We’re open to feedback and will always take that on board, but it’s irritating when this happens.
‘It’s happened twice before and all three times have been because we’ve been fully booked and they haven’t called ahead.
‘It’s something we have to react to and that’s what we did there, we’ve got to stand up for ourselves.
‘Reviews can affect a business and where you are on TripAdvisor – that one person can move your place down the rankings by three places and it could make you look like the worst restaurant in town even though they haven’t eaten there.
‘I’m pleased it was picked up because we do care what people think on review sites, but it can be quite disheartening when this happens.
‘We want to please everyone, but when you know you’re doing your best and people still complain, it puts you in a difficult position.’
Nadine said the restaurant is always happy to accept feedback from customers, but said reviews like this are ‘so bizarre’
The Buoy and Oyster has been awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, and has 239 ‘excellent’ reviews on the site.
Nadine said the restaurant is always happy to accept feedback from customers, but said reviews like this are ‘so bizarre’.
She added: ‘I don’t think we need to apologise for being fully booked – it’s a good thing.
‘We didn’t mean to sound sarcastic but we offered this woman a table at 2pm and they didn’t want to come back.
‘The review is so bizarre, it’s like going to a hotel without booking, asking for a room, and leaving a review without staying.
‘We’re not cocky, and we’re not saying we’re perfect, but there’s a difference between reviewing your experience and having a vent for no reason.
‘It can be a bit of a dangerous tool because it’s so easy for anyone to create an account and write things.
‘It’s an alien concept – surely if you walked into a restaurant and it was fully booked, you’d just go somewhere else?
‘It’s a funny world we live in where someone would do something like this.’
MailOnline has contacted TripAdvisor for comment.