You should know that, before your potential customer hits the ‘order’ button, they check out what they are buying. They check out what your past customers have said about the food. If your brand has a physical space, what are they saying about the ambience? What is your customer service like? Potential customers have these questions, and they seek answers through reviews. Reviews are today’s version of word-of-mouth referrals, and well, aren’t they ‘word-of-mouth’?  

As a business owner, you are also a customer of other brands. I know you have skipped buying anything online because of bad or no reviews. It is the same way with your potential customers. They don’t just crave good food; they crave reassurance. Whether it’s to order lunch at work or trying a new spot for dinner, people want to know if they’re making the right choice. And what do they trust most? Other people’s experiences!

Online food ordering isn’t just about having a great menu. It’s about building trust before the first bite. Reviews act as instant proof that your food is worth it, your service is reliable, and your business is legit. Today, 93% of customers check reviews before placing an order. This means that your online reputation can make or break your next sale.

Social proof is powerful. And when you know how to use it right, it becomes a magnet for more orders.

   Why Reviews Matter More Than Ever

Back in the day, you might ask a friend, “Where’s the best place to get suya or shawarma around here?” These days? People don’t just order food abruptly; they do their research. Before making that final click to check out, most customers scroll through reviews to see what others have said. Now, we all trust strangers on the internet, especially when dozens (or hundreds) of them say the same thing.

What does this mean for you? It means almost every potential customer is looking for proof that your food is worth their money.

The available reviews give potential customers a sense of:

• • What your food tastes like (beyond the menu description).

• • How generous your portions are.

• • Whether the food arrives hot and on time.

• • How responsive or polite your staff is.

• • Whether the photos match reality.

If we are being honest, nobody wants to be disappointed when they buy food, especially when they’re hungry. Imagine this scenario: A potential customer is  scrolling through a food delivery app, searching for jollof rice, and two restaurants pop up:

• • One has 50+ reviews, a 4.7-star rating, and real photos from happy customers with comments like “Spicy, tasty, and delivered hot!” or “Portion was large enough for two!”

• • The other one looks decent, but it has zero reviews: no ratings, no comments, nothing to give you confidence.

Even if both sell at the same price, the restaurant with reviews will likely get the order. Why? Those reviews reduce uncertainty. They answer questions the customer might not even know they had. The reviews give the reassurance that others have tried and loved it.

We are now at a time where people make split-second decisions based on a few taps and swipes, and reviews from real people about your business could be the difference between a full kitchen and a quiet one.

What Positive Reviews “Really” Do for Your                                       Business

When customers leave you a great review, they’re not just saying “The food was nice.”  They’re doing something powerful for your brand. The reviews they leave are building your brand’s reputation for you.

If you are still wondering what reviews can do for your business, here are a couple: 

1. Build instant credibility and trust: People trust people and stories backed by proof. So, when a potential customer sees other people raving about your food with claims like: “Best shawarma in town!” or “Customer service was on point!”  that trust transfers to you. Even if they’ve never heard of your business before, a good review makes you feel familiar and safe to them. In seconds, you’ve gone from “Who’s this?” in their minds,  to “Let me give them a try.”

2. Boost your visibility online: Most food delivery apps and even Google, reward well-reviewed businesses. More stars mean better rankings, and better ranking means more people seeing your business. The more reviews you get (especially recent ones), the more likely your restaurant is to show up when someone searches for “fried rice near me” or “best amala in XYZ town.” 

In short, good reviews help you get seen more. And in the online food space, visibility is everything.

3. Turn hesitant browsers into confident buyers: Have you ever hovered over the “Order Now” button but weren’t quite sure about placing that order? That’s how many new customers feel, until they read your reviews. Positive reviews do the convincing for you. They remove doubt, answer questions, and give buyers the confidence they need to place that first order. And the more people trust that they’ll get good value, the faster they click.

4. Keep customers coming back: With great reviews, you won’t just attract new faces. Those reviews would remind old customers why they should return. When people read a review that matches their own experience, it reinforces their decision and builds loyalty. Plus, if they left a good review and got a kind response from your business, they’re more likely to feel connected, and that emotional connection keeps them coming back for more.

So, while reviews might seem like small comments left by random customers, they’re actually one of your strongest marketing tools. They build trust, bring traffic, win over skeptical people, and create fans out of first-timers.

How to Make Your Reviews Work for You

Having great reviews is one thing. Using them to grow your food business is another. It’s not enough to wait and hope customers will leave nice words. You have to be intentional about collecting, showcasing, and responding to them. Here’s how to turn those kind words into consistent online orders:

1. Ask for them: The best time to ask for a review is right after a customer has had a good experience. If they just finished their meal and are raving about how tasty it was, that’s your golden moment. You just have to keep it simple and polite. You could say:

• • “We’re so glad you enjoyed your meal! Would you mind dropping a quick review?” OR

• • “Your feedback means a lot to us. A short review would help others discover our food.”

When you ask, you will surely get some. You’ll be surprised that most happy customers are willing to help. They just need that little nudge from you.

2. Make it effortless: People are busy. The easier it is to leave a review, the more likely they’ll do it. The less work they have to do, the better your chances. Use simple tools like:

• • QR codes on delivery packages or takeaway boxes that link directly to your review page

• • SMS links sent shortly after delivery

• • Follow-up emails with one-click review options

3. Show them off: Reviews aren’t meant to sit quietly in a corner. Shine a light on them.

• • Post your best reviews on Instagram stories or your WhatsApp status.

• • Highlight a “Review of the Week” on your page.

• • Add them to your website or food delivery profile as social proof.

When people see others enjoying your food, it creates FOMO (fear of missing out), and that’s powerful.

4. Respond like a human: Always respond to reviews. Don’t just respond to the positive reviews and leave out the negative ones. Not responding could give the impression that you care less about the experience of your customers and that is not good for your brand’s reputation. 

• • For positive reviews: A simple “Thank you so much!” or “We’re glad you enjoyed it!” makes your brand feel warm and real.

• • For negative ones: Stay calm, professional, and kind. Apologize, offer a solution, and show you’re listening. It tells future customers, “We care, and we’re working on it.”

How you respond can sometimes win you more trust than the review itself. Reviews aren’t just feedback. They’re the fuel of your business. Ask for them, make the process seamless for your customers, show the reviews off, and treat every customer’s voice with care. When you do all of these consistently, your reviews will start doing the selling for you.

       Turn Reviews Into Orders with Parrot!

Now that you know how powerful reviews are, the next step is making them work for you. That’s where Parrot comes in.

Parrot is an efficient customer reviews, and customer intelligence platform that makes collecting, managing, and showcasing customer reviews easy. Instead of manually chasing customers or copying reviews to post on social media, With Parrot, You have your own unique link to share to your customers to easily give reviews. The entire process is time-saving so you can focus on what you do best: making great food!

Whether you’re a small food business or a fast-growing brand, Parrot gives you the tools to build trust, attract more customers, and grow your online orders.

Conclusion: Let Your Happy Customers Do the Talking

It’s nice when your restaurant is crowded, Yeah?. People are walking in, placing their food  orders  online… But, what would give you an edge isn’t just the food. It is proof that people love it. Reviews are social proof. They build your reputation, win trust, and bring in more orders, day after day.

So don’t let them go to waste!

Start using Parrot today for Free and turn every satisfied customer into your next marketing campaign.