About the business
I own a neighborhood restaurant. Dine-in, takeaway, and a few regular catering orders. A small team, and in the evening every one of them is busy with the guests in front of them.
The problem: I was treating one problem as two
I had two worries, and for a long time I filed them separately.
The first was Google. When I searched for my own restaurant, the listing was weak. Holiday hours were wrong. The menu was a year old. There were maybe four photos, and one was of the parking lot.
The second was the phone. On busy nights it rang out, again and again, while everyone was carrying plates.
Then it clicked. These were the same problem. Any effort I put into getting people to call was wasted if nobody picked up. Someone who reaches voicemail at 7 pm on a Friday doesn't leave a message. They call the next place on the list.
What we changed: fix the listing, then answer every call
We started with the basics, because they cost the least. The Google Business Profile got the right address, phone number and hours, a current menu, and fresh photos. Holiday hours now go in ahead of time. We started replying to reviews, the good ones and the awkward ones.
Then we made sure every call would actually be answered. Sanma, our AI phone agent, picks up whenever staff can't. It answers the everyday questions (hours, parking, whether we do gluten-free), takes takeaway orders and table requests, and sends the details straight to the restaurant. Anything it can't handle goes to a person.
The two pieces work as a pair. The listing brings people to call. The agent makes sure someone answers.
The result: easier to find, and nobody hits voicemail
Calls don't die in voicemail during the rush anymore. Guests get the right hours, so fewer people turn up on a day we're closed. Staff stay with the guests already in the room. And I can see the orders and table requests from calls I would have missed.
I'm not going to claim a big jump in numbers. I wouldn't trust anyone who promised one without seeing my restaurant first. What changed is simple: when someone finds us and calls, we answer.
If the phone side is your bigger worry, here's what a Friday night looks like with an agent on the line. If it's the listing, this is what local search work involves.
If people can barely find you, or find you and can't get through, tell us about your restaurant. We'll look at your listing and your phone and tell you plainly which one to fix first.
Free missed-call check
Send us one week of your call log. We'll show you how many calls went unanswered, and exactly when, before you spend a dollar.
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