Amateur Restaurant Reviews Still Raising Some Restaurateurs' Hackles
from the you-burnt-my-toast dept
Restaurateurs are faced with a swelling number of amateur critics, thanks to a proliferation of sites giving users a forum to write reviews. As we've noted before, the response to this isn't to try and clamp down on the reviews, but to make sure all customers are treated well, not just "real" critics from newspapers and other outlets. Sadly, that message doesn't seem to be getting all the way through, with some restaurant owners frustrated that user reviews aren't edited or filtered. The implication here is that everyday people can't see over their own biases and deliver objective reviews -- but there's no assurance that professional reviewers can, either, while in many cases, people don't particularly care about objectivity in reviews. For instance, people like particular movie reviewers not necessarily because they're "objective", but rather because a reviewer's tastes generally match their own. In the same vein, a restaurant review from the New York Times' critic may not mean a great deal to many people, either because of the choice of restaurant, or because of how that reviewer's background and preferences differ from their own. One freelance restaurant writer says that Yelp could or should "broaden its credibility" by expanding its pool of reviewers beyond its current and generally young-and-single crowd. But if Yelp's audience is mostly young and single, and finds contributors' reviews resonate with their point of view, what's the problem? While none of this is to say that online reviews shouldn't be taken without a grain of salt, the desire of some restaurateurs (and "professional" reviewers, apparently) for some sort of filters and controls on them smacks of little more than a reluctance to compete.
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wow
I think what your trying to say is professional critics are good because we can align our tastes to theirs and ignore the ones we don't like, but with open reviews we can't? If that is the case, what about the concept of the wisdom of crowds (but I'm not sure you didn't cover that too in the last few sentances.. I couldn't tell)
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Re: wow
People should know to take these reviews as they are intended. People don't necessairly like the same things within such establishments. What may be acceptible for one may not be for another.
The way I see these being of most use is if, after reading a selection of reviews, trends start to appear in people's opinions.
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Re: wow
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restaurant reviews
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After reading the note twice, this is the picture I get:
This article was written because the author read some comments by some restaurateurs about Yelp (what's Yelp? Where's the link? Who bitched? Where's the link to the bitching?)
I suspect the author wanted to use the example to preach about the wisdom of crowds, but he forgot to include the moral of his story.
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Re:
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Re: Re:
but there's no assurance that professional reviewers can, either, while in many cases, people don't particularly about objectivity in reviews.
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Within a week of posting my review, I got met at the store with a frosty glare. Moving to my fave bottle of reisling, I noticed she had doubled the price from the day before!
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I'd like to know how economists deal with that, and how readers can assess the real likelihood of a bad experience from reviews.
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Re:
When I was looking for a camera, I read the reviews that were around the average rating. Then I read one or two of the highest rated reviews and then I also read some of the lowest ones. Sometimes the lowest ones do that because they screwed up something they like, not necessarily because the product is terrible overall. But then you know, ok, this particular feature isn't good, but nothing else was said about it. If you don't care about the feature, then fine, but if you do, then just make sure that you can find more people talking well about that feature as opposed to badly.
The problem lies in how people interpret reviews, not necessarily the people posting reviews.
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Re: Re:
This is why owners are afraid of customer reviews. By having to deal with a larger pool of reviews there is an increased chance of a few bad reviews swaying the minds of potential customers.
Now of course the logical thing to do is to just kick up your game to make sure you run a good business. But now that lawyers have laid their tentacles the thing to do now is to sue anything that may threaten you.
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Now... Where did I put that F7 Key...
Starting out with the "Where's That Old 286 Machine When You Need It?" story, and then reading this one, I think I'll take a break from these articles. I mean come on, running the entire 286 story into 3 sentences, and now this mess? If the author can't even handle professionalism in a paragraph length group of words, why should I think he/she can handle the thought process of an opinion worth considering? "--but there's no assurance that professional reviewers can, either, while in many cases, people don't particularly about objectivity in reviews." Huh?
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Re: Now... Where did I put that F7 Key...
You're basically saying:
He can't write professionally, therefore his opinion isn't worth considering.
Nowhere did you offer reasoning to imply his opinion isn't worth considering. His opinion on how to write may be called into question, but his other opinions shouldn't be.
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Re: Re: Now... Where did I put that F7 Key...
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amateur critics
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Businesses, Teachers, Politicians --- that all can't stand what people have to say about them.
Get a clue, it's what people say to the individuals they know anyway, it's been happening since humans have walked the earth, it's just on a much larger scale now.
How many times have you commented to a friend or group that a certain thing 'sucks'?
It's called free speech, live with it.
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in defense of the article
I think overall the exposure is good for all but the most established restaurants that might indeed be resting on their laurels and not delivering the type of experience their reputation might promise.
Screw the whiny restaurateurs. If they can't see value in their own customers' criticisms, they need to get OUT of food service.
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Huhh?
~(~p) = p
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reviews
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Amateur Restaurant Reviews
First it puts restaurants on notice that the quality of their service and offerings needs to be consistent at whatever price-point / service level market they target. Too often its apparent to the staff when a restaurant reviewer is in the house and the service level is kicked up a notch or two. As a result you get a "halo" review that is inconsistent with normal day-to-day service and quality.
Second I think it provides a wider reference base for an individual to read reviews that span the spectrum from poor to outstanding. This gives the reader a better opportunity to decide what things are most important in selecting a restaurant.
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I know quite a few very good local restaurants, so do all the other locals and if I check just about any online customer review site those restaurants get very high marks.
Anyway who supports the nonsense about negative reviews have any proof or is it just so much hot air blowing out of your arseholes?
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Freelance Opportunity
Let's put all of this talent to use!
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