Cafe waiter is stung by online reviews

Dear Amy: I work in a small cafe. We serve a lot of visitors from out of town, have a good reputation and good reviews online, and are often very busy.

Lately, I have been feeling anxious about going to work because we have received some very negative reviews on TripAdvisor over what are minor issues. We have also had customers openly yell at us.

My employer has stood behind the employees in every instance, but I cannot help feeling extreme guilt over some of these reviews.

There are days when I have trouble forcing a smile for someone being rude. I have feelings and am trying to make everyone happy!

As a public figure who receives lots of feedback — positive and negative — how do you distance yourself from all the online negative feedback? No matter how many happy and polite customers I serve in real life, the angry ones online leave such a lasting impression.

How do I balance being a good server with standing up for myself as a human being? — Stressed Server

Dear Stressed: I receive a lot of online negativity, and I don’t always handle it well. I try to take criticism constructively. I try to be polite, and in many cases, people react well when I respond well.

I do not go out of my way to find reviews. Why? Because online commenters are most often talking to each other, and I have to get out of bed every morning and go back to my desk.

You should not check online rating sites for reviews. Your manager should check these sites, and will handle responding to these reviews, using them to help train the staff.

Your job every day is to do your best to serve your customers, to admit any errors and address them promptly, to behave respectfully, and to learn and grow as you go.