Online reviews have become an online staple. Both consumers and businesses have accepted that online reviews are just a part of our market. Some consumers read and frequently post online reviews more than others. By the same token, some businesses pay more attention to online reviews. There is no question that positive online reviews can help businesses and negative online reviews can hurt businesses. The problem arises when those who are aware of those two points use that information to try to control the system. We see this happening more often as time goes by. There have been lawsuits about it questioning whether or not free speech applies to online reviews or not. There is even a Kickstarter funding campaign raising money for a documentary calling Yelp a Billion Dollar Bully.
One controversial online review is about a family owned Chinese restaurant in California. A Yelp reviewer posted a negative one start review on Yelp claiming that he was refused service because they would not seat him as a party of one. It just so happened that the restaurant has video surveillance which films and records the activity at their front door. The video footage shows the diner entering the restaurant, look around, and leaving after just 22 seconds and never interacting with anyone to be denied service. The restaurant posted the video and a rebuttal response to the Yelp reviewer. The increase in these types of disproven reviews makes the whole online review process less reliable and is very frustrating. In a perfect world, online reviews can be a very good thing, letting word of mouth take over and rewarding businesses that offer good customer service and good products or services. Instead, you never know if a review is fake, fabricated, or who wrote it.
Another online review controversy involves a woman who posted negative reviews after not enjoying the dog training experience she paid for from a trainer. She was not a satisfied customer and posted her negative review on Yelp and Angie’s List. In turn, the owner of the dog training business filed a lawsuit against the customer claiming that the review was false because the she had let he know in advance about the very things she complained about. There have been several Yelp or online review related law suits filed in America and many around the world are watching the outcomes because it could impact online review sites worldwide.
In March, this Kickstarter campaign was launched. They are seeking funds for a documentary about Yelp. The video for the documentary highlights how businesses feel that Yelp extorts them and removes positive reviews and/or adds negative reviews if the business declines advertising with them. This is definitely a controversial subject. We will let you read about it and determine for yourself.
One thing is clear; most people might have a doubt in their minds when reading online reviews. Hopefully the future holds a better process for reviews that keeps everyone honest and in check. How can we trust the review process when positive reviews can be faked just as much as negative reviews can?
If you require further information or have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to give a member of the GoPromotional team a call on 0800 0148 970 or simply email us today.
