Dashboard: Reviews, Posts and Gallery, your public face

Photos, posts and reviews, in the sidebar, are what a guest reads before they choose you: your Gallery, your Posts and your Reviews. Keep them current and answer every rating. Replies are published under your business's name, so replying needs the manage reviews permission, which owners and managers have by default and staff do not. Editing photos needs manage settings.

How do you reply to a rating?

Open Reviews, read the rating, and reply. Thank the guest by naming something they said, answer any problem in a sentence, and offer to put it right in private by message. Do not argue in public, and never share another guest's details. A calm reply to a bad rating persuades the next reader more than a perfect rating does. Ratings are of what guests actually ate, which is why they carry weight; see reply to reviews and ratings.

Can you remove a bad rating?

No. A rating is the guest's, and you cannot delete it or pay to hide it. If a rating breaks the rules, such as abuse or a rating from someone who was never there, you can report it for moderation. Otherwise reply and move on. Ratings are also the only thing that earns Mosey Gold, which is why they are worth answering; see how your business earns Mosey Gold.

What goes in Gallery?

Your own photos of dishes, the room and the people. Start with a bright cover photo and the six dishes you most want to sell. Replace a photo when the dish changes, and drop any that make the room look emptier than it is. Photos from guests appear on your page too, but yours set the tone. Use real photos of your own food only.

What are Posts for?

A post is a short update on your page: a new dish, an event, a change of hours, a seasonal menu. Write what a regular would tell a friend, add a photo, and post when something truly changes. Followers see it, and so do people who find you in search. One good post a week is better than five thin ones.

What about Gatherings?

Gatherings sits under the same group in the sidebar. It handles requests for large group bookings and private hire. See private hire and large group bookings for how to quote them.

What makes a reply good?

A good reply is short, specific and kind. Name the dish or the evening, thank the guest, and say what you will do. If the rating is warm, say something real back rather than a stock line. If it is sharp, resist the first draft, sleep on it if you can, and write the second. Guests read how you answer as well as what was said.

How do you check the page as a guest sees it?

Open your public page on a phone, as a stranger would, once a month. Check the hours, the cover photo, the first three dishes and the newest rating. If anything makes you wince, fix it now. The set-up steps are in setting up your business profile.