I have been asked the question: ‘What is the most interesting thing you’ve done as a Local Guide?’
And I had no doubt what this thing is. The most powerful experience I had since I joined as a local guide was in my next-door restaurant.
I live in Tel-Aviv, the center of Israel and one of the most beautiful cities in the world (and I’m not biased 
). The city is full of unique restaurants and beautiful bakeries, and I was lucky enough to live just next-doot to one of them. I heard about this restaurant from friends, so I had to go check their food!
I found an empty spot on my calendar and went to breakfast with my spouse. We set, order the food, and waited. and waited. and waited.
After almost 1 hour we got our breakfast (it was almost noon already!). I was in shock. Yes, the food was extraordinary, and the smells - oh the smells. But waiting an hour for breakfast is really too much.
So I opened the google-maps app and wrote a review about the experience. I detailed the good food alongside the long waiting. I went home and rest for a short time until suddenly I get a message in my messenger: it was the restaurant owner, and he asked me to tell him more about my experience. I was surprised, but of course, I told him about the way we waited, and how my friends told me ‘this is how it is there’. The owner was surprised (apparently he always get his food on time).
After a long talk, he asked me to come again in a random time, and promise that things will be different. And guess what: it was! the staff worked faster, more efficiently, and they actually tracked when every customer ordered and when the food was served!
I was so surprised. At once I understood the power of a community and the power of reviews. Since then, I try to review every spot I’m in - not only for the other friends in the community, but also for the business owners, who creates these beautiful places just for us.
I hope we’ll all understand our power as costumers and as community members, and thanks to Google for their great platforms to do just that!
