Find what customers hate about your competitors

Read your competitors' worst reviews in one go and turn them into reasons to choose you.

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   @Firecrawl I run a café in Chorlton, Manchester. Use Firecrawl Alexandria to find what customers hate about the other cafés nearby, and what I could do better.

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   What came back

   Claude Code (Claude Opus 5.5) sent back, word for word:

   I pulled Google Maps reviews through Firecrawl Alexandria for 10 cafés in Chorlton and read the 20–25 lowest-rated reviews at each one (about 220 reviews). The cafés were Tea Hive, North Star Deli, Tutku, Cafe La Fina, Junipers, Nest, SMOAK, Brewch, Sipp and 99 Reasons.

   These are the worst reviews by design. Most of these places average 4.3–4.9 stars, so this shows where customers drift away, not what typical visits are like. I've given more weight to the last 12 months.

   What customers hate, roughly by how often it comes up

   1. Feeling unwelcome. This is the biggest theme by far.

   • People complain about not being greeted, staff "looking like they'd rather be in bed", and being made to feel "like we were in the way" (Sipp, SMOAK, Junipers, La Fina).
   • Walk-ins say they were ignored at the till while a regular was served first.
   • When someone complains, the owner gets defensive or argues. Tutku's argumentative public replies are quoted by later reviewers as a reason to avoid it. At Nest, a customer who complained about a cheesecake sliver was told "come back next week and we'll make it up to you."

   2. Slow food, forgotten orders and no updates.

   • People waited 45–60 minutes at 99 Reasons, mentioned in several reviews.
   • A fourth meal was forgotten at Junipers, and orders were missed at North Star and Sipp.
   • What annoys people is the silence more than the wait. Drinks arrive and then go cold while the food takes ages.

   3. Small portions for the price.

   • A £6.99 cheesecake "sliver" at Nest, which went up £1 in a week while the slice got smaller.
   • £14.50 for a dry brisket sandwich, £12.50 avocado toast, and a £4.80 flat white.
   • £9 bagels with one slice of pastrami (SMOAK, 99 Reasons).
   • 90p for one slice of toast, and £1.40–£2 for tap water (Tutku).
   • People don't mind Chorlton prices. They do mind feeling short-changed.

   4. Food served cold or not fresh.

   • Brewch's sandwiches are made in advance and served cold, even though they're described as hot.
   • Day-old croissants and pastries (La Fina, Brewch), stale cake on the "cake of the day" deal (North Star), and lukewarm full English breakfasts (Junipers).

   5. Coffee quality that varies or feels like a con.

   • SMOAK used to be "the best in Manchester". Recent reviews say staff turnover has made it "fallen off a cliff".
   • Watery lattes and weak cappuccinos (Nest, Junipers).
   • £6 "date" or "pistachio" lattes made with generic shop syrup (Brewch, Sipp). People notice, and they call it misleading.

   6. Rules that catch customers out.

   • Cafe La Fina customers are getting £60 parking fines in the post after a new number-plate registration rule that staff didn't mention. Loyal regulars say they're leaving because of it.
   • La Fina also switched off its plugs to stop laptop users, and staff shout across the room about the toilets.
   • Tutku and Junipers are cash-only, with no sign warning you before you order.
   • Sipp closes early even though Google says 5pm. One customer was rushed out while breastfeeding. Nest was dark at a time its website said it was open.
   • La Fina's Google listing says dogs are allowed, but they aren't. Brewch serves eat-in customers in takeaway cups.

   7. Dietary requests not being taken seriously.

   • Halal chicken cooked on the same grill as bacon (Tutku), and pork sausages served to a Muslim regular (Nest).
   • Dairy milk given after asking for non-dairy (Brewch), cheese served to someone with a cheese allergy (Tutku), and staff seeming irritated by questions about cross-contamination (Tea Hive).

   8. Cleanliness. Reviewers mention ants on the sauce bottle (Tutku), the café cat sleeping on a dining table (North Star), dirty mugs (Sipp), and sticky tables or tables left with the last customer's plates.

   What you could do better

   1. Greet everyone within a few seconds, including people waiting at the till. It costs nothing and fixes the most common complaint.
   2. Tell people when food will take a while. Give a wait time when they order, check in at 15 minutes, and hold drinks until the food is nearly ready. If something goes wrong, take it off the bill without being asked.
   3. Keep portions consistent (a set cheesecake slice, a set amount of filling) and never charge for tap water or bits of a dish. "Generous for Chorlton" is something customers would notice.
   4. Serve hot food hot on warm plates. Don't sell yesterday's pastries at full price. Discount them as day-old or bake less.
   5. Dial in the coffee every morning and make sure new staff are trained on it. If you sell flavoured lattes, make your own syrups and say so on the menu. Competitors are being called out for using generic ones.
   6. Make sure your Google hours, dog policy and payment options are accurate, and take both card and cash. If you have parking, keep it simple and free.
   7. Make dietary information easy to trust. Label allergens, halal and vegan items clearly and use separate pans. A clearly halal-friendly or dairy-free-safe café could win customers from two competitors with known problems.
   8. Reply to every review warmly and briefly, and never argue. Tutku shows how defensive replies put off future customers.

   Where the openings are

   • Laptop workers. La Fina is pushing them away and people say Sipp's wifi is bad. Good wifi, working plugs and a clear "laptops welcome until noon" policy would attract them.
   • SMOAK's old regulars. Specialty-coffee drinkers are actively looking for a reliable replacement after its decline.
   • La Fina's school-run families who are fed up with the parking fines.

   I didn't pull reviews for Coffee Rules, Bohee, Moor Coffee or Chocoberry. I can add them, run the same analysis on your own café's reviews to see which of these problems you already have, or check what the 5-star reviews praise.

   Sources usedFirecrawl Maps60 credits · Oct 20, 2026

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