I smiled when I read Global Traveler‘s review of OpenTable’s mobile app in our May issue. Like GoogleMaps and GPS devices, OpenTable’s mobile app is a digital tool I don’t know how I ever traveled without. Since joining OpenTable in 2008, I haven’t had any poor dining experiences in untraveled cities or towns, no matter how far off the beaten path I’ve found myself. In addition to facilitating quick and painless dinner reservations, OpenTable is a good source for reliable restaurant reviews when you don’t have the opportunity to research your travel plans in advance. Since OpenTable urges its members to review restaurants right after they dine, I’ve found that the reviews are more accurate than those you see on sites such as TripAdvisor.com. Not all establishments appreciate the accuracy, but as a diner, I certainly do. About a year ago I worked as a consultant on an online marketing campaign for a new “elegant dining” destination that was looking to abandon its OpenTable capabilities. The restaurateur was upset that negative reviews were being posted to his online account. Later in our discussion, I asked how his new restaurant was performing, and he boasted he was getting so much business that diners with reservations were waiting an hour or more to be seated. I was polite, but I couldn’t help but think to myself that OpenTable’s review system was working well in this case. The negative yet fairly accurate reviews fulfilled their function by warning OpenTable members, such as myself, to dine elsewhere until the restaurant worked out its growing pains. This past weekend I discovered one of my favorite local restaurants now uses OpenTable to accept online reservations. Even though I’ve had nothing but good experiences at Dans (and their overall OpenTable rating is very good), I was curious to see how accurate the user reviews were. I only disagreed with one negative review. Several diners pointed out quirks that I wouldn’t necessarily take issue with, but they were useful observations nonetheless. For example, someone mentioned that the restaurant is only accessible via a flight of stairs. I remember an uncomfortable occasion when, while in an area I was unfamiliar with, I tried to take a relative who used a cane to a fine restaurant that was only accessible via stairs. So yes, that’s something Dans needed to address on its site. Likewise, their parking lot is not clearly marked, and finding street parking can be a bit hair-raising. In fact, I didn’t even know they offered parking until I read the comments on OpenTable! Since the aforementioned reviews were posted, the Dans Restaurant has addressed several concerns published at OpenTable. And THAT’S win-win for everyone. It’s a great example of how new media conversations help improve our real-world experiences. And in this case, OpenTable’s transparency is helping to make a great dining experience even better. — Patty Mahlon, director of digital media