To hate trip advisor

[Passthebubbly]

I need to vent. I own a small hospitality business family run that we have put our heart and sole into for 11 years. We have won a ton of awards and do our absolute best to show people an amazing time. We appreciate every single customer.

Our feedback has always been so good but since reopening from last lockdown what has happened to people? Just got a 1 star review as woman didn’t like her soup and the toilet was too small and there was god forbid a cobweb. Didn’t think to say at the time so we could change her meal just wait till behind a keyboard and leave a 1review. 2review yesterday because we don’t serve a full menu all night - we don’t have a bloody chef right now. My husband worked 78hours last week in that kitchen. Am so sick of watching what we have built and what we work our backsides off now in due to staff shortages be tarnished by keyboard warriors. Rant over just raging anyone can go on and leave 1* reviews for thing we can’t change like size of toilets in a listed building. So unfair.

I understand your frustration. If it helps, I always read the 1 star reviews and 99% of the time it is usually from someone god herself couldn’t have pleased.

As others have indicated, well worded responses definitely have encouraged me to actually to visit (and helped me to choose accommodation in Rome - which as expected was fantastic!)

I once stayed in a hotel that was a really traditional old building in Prague. Complaints on trip advisor included the building being old fashioned, too many stairs, the street being narrow, no nice countryside views yet also too far from the city centre. The hotel website was very clear about its location and character. There was a map, photos etc. We specifically chose it for olde worlde charm. There was a tram stop straight to town within a few minutes walk too. People can be really silly with their expectations.

Thanks daimbar. They actually do investigate if you report a review. One I had I had proof from a young lady I chose not to hire (didn’t turn up for half her trial shifts), she sent me a text with a load of abuse saying enjoy the trip advisor review, low and behold a bike review from a new account appeared the next day slaying the owners. Trip advisor would still not remove it.

I'm surprised that it has not been mentioned that most of the positive reviews on Tripadvisor are actually fake. The restaurants pay third parties to generate them by the thousand. This includes a number of those in the London top ten! A tell tale sign of a home-generated ratings boost when there are no other contributions by the reviewer of many of their reviews. The pro ones are harder to spot. MSE recommends a took which evaluates the probability that their reviews are fake by selecting a random number and running diagnostics.

A lot of people automatically give five stars to anything that isn’t awful - it’s basically the default and my experience of some places is that there are loads of people who are clearly very easily pleased. So I do read lower reviews as they tend to be where the useful detail is. But it’s very easy to see where people are whingeing about trivialities or bring completely unreasonable. I booked a b&b the other day where someone had fallen out with the owner, which was at odds with all the other reviews. When I looked at that person’s other reviews, it was obvious they could be abrasive!

The only thing that might be a problem is in affecting your standing in the results (no. 14 in Chichester for Mexican food, etc.), but TA is notorious for throwing up weird rankings. I like eating out a lot and have high standards, and would swerve the top-rated places in my town.

tool

Thanks folks just need to suck it up and hope it’s people like you that can see through nonsense that read my reviews.

we are all working so hard and have over 230 5 reviews. The 7 1/2 only 3 are warranted the rest are just utterly stupid or staff we have let go being malicious

If that's what the numbers look like I honestly wouldn't worry, though I completely get it's infuriating and hurtful
Anyone with sense will work out the the seven 1/2* reviewers are largely malcontents - especially with the way you've replied - and if they don't have sense I doubt you'd want them staying anyway

It's sucks OP when you work so hard. But take heart, most sensible people can see through the rediculous reviews.

I once saw a review for a Chinese takeaway saying "worst Italian food ever" 😅

The best thing to do is go back with a really over the top nice response. Be sooooo kind and understanding that anyone reading will see it for what it is (her review that is). Don’t go back all sarky etc, that makes you look bad too.

People can see for themselves when it's an overly harsh review. The ones where they are a 5 stars are suspicious to me as if someone's be bribed with free poppadoms to review it positively.

@maddiemookins16mum

The best thing to do is go back with a really over the top nice response. Be sooooo kind and understanding that anyone reading will see it for what it is (her review that is). Don’t go back all sarky etc, that makes you look bad too.

Agree just be nice and factual. People will see the ridiculousness of their comments

I hear you! I have a business and have had a couple of crap reviews. One where we could have done better and one where the client was a complete arsehole. But I think if you respond well it takes the sting out of it.

But we do appreciate every single client and try and make their experience the best they could have but there is always room for human error - no one is perfect.

One person didnt even try and tell us at the time or contact us after just Left a massive review, the person had left loads of reviews on other sites and was a 'guide' so even though it was last year bloody google kept their review at the top of our reviews for months as they are a 'trusted reviewer ' despite numerous other great reviews.

I have come to the conclusion that some people are just arseholes which can be interpreted on the review.But its horrible that some one would purposely try and effect your lively hood over something trivial. Responded to one client and left an 'E' of their name BY ACCIDENT . they responded back 'MY NAME IS SPELT WITH A E!! YOU CANT EVEN GET MY NAME RIGHT!!'

Arseholes.

I’m quite good at reading between the lines. I’d disregard someone whinging about a cobweb. It’s when there’s lots of bad reviews and accompanying photographs that I take notice. What really puts me off is when people write bad reviews and then there’s a response that’s very hostile. It’s much better when you see a response that is polite and tries to address the issue.

If you feel a bad review is unfair the best thing to do is a polite, factual response explaining the circumstances and emphasising you are an independent family business. The previous response about the toilet in the listed building is perfect. When I read these responses, I tend to side with the business rather than the complainant.

@Soffit - true. I stayed at an agriturismo in Sicily years ago that I left a three-star review for on TA. It looked charming online, but was a bit down at heel in the flesh and was so obviously an uncared-for bolt-on to the family’s main business. The hosts were missing in action the morning we were checking out to go to the airport and had a really shitty attitude when we finally got hold of them. That was what prompted me to leave the review, which was very balanced. I was amazed to see loads of five-star reviews raving that it was the best place the guest had ever stayed at. Amazing, perfect, etc. While most guests might not have had a check-out issue, it simply wasn’t credible that scores of people thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Clearly fake to someone who’d been, but I wouldn’t have been able to tell in advance as they all looked genuine. Booking.com told a more realistic story!

I only take any notice if there is a theme emerging from the poor reviews. I'm not too bothered if it is an inexpensive meal out but I've been saddened lately by some very poor reviews of upmarket hotels I've been looking at for a break in the autumn. The pandemic has left some places with less staff and less experienced staff who often don't seem to enjoy their work.
The strangest review i came across was for a riding holiday I'd already done, it was a character assassination of the horse who had been an absolute paragon a fortnight earlier for me (and I'm nervous) I'm pleased the poor beast couldn't read it for himself!

As a traveller I find Tripadvisor to be an amazing resource.
If an establishment generally has 5 and 4 star reviews then I know I'm in for a treat if there's the odd random 1 star as it's usually going to be amusing.
Keep any responses professional and friendly.

I wouldnt take any notice of silly reviews like that op-all you can do is reply factually and leave it at that

good luck

A fantastic B&B we have stayed at got a one star review. The woman had arrived and was told she wasn't booked in an there were no spare rooms. The lovely owner phoned round and discovered she had actually booked into a B&B three doors away, who had her room ready and came to collect her. Didn't stop her leaving a shitty review though

[quote ClafoutisSurprise]@Soffit - true. I stayed at an agriturismo in Sicily years ago that I left a three-star review for on TA. It looked charming online, but was a bit down at heel in the flesh and was so obviously an uncared-for bolt-on to the family’s main business. The hosts were missing in action the morning we were checking out to go to the airport and had a really shitty attitude when we finally got hold of them. That was what prompted me to leave the review, which was very balanced. I was amazed to see loads of five-star reviews raving that it was the best place the guest had ever stayed at. Amazing, perfect, etc. While most guests might not have had a check-out issue, it simply wasn’t credible that scores of people thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Clearly fake to someone who’d been, but I wouldn’t have been able to tell in advance as they all looked genuine. Booking.com told a more realistic story![/quote]
Yep, it's a joke. Even the boring businesses are doing it. They counterbalance very negative review by a hundred fake ones. It is a whole world of fake - you can buy blocks of instagram and ticktok likes and everything in between. I only use personal recommendations now and/or review sites with little traffic and no incentive to manipulate perceptions

I love reading the low star reviews, mainly so I can have a good laugh at the ridiculousness of people.
Honestly, I don't take low reviews seriously unless there is a common theme.
The odd comment on food being poor or staff rudeness - ignore.
Numerous recent comments about these- take note

@FourChimneys that is crazy! Poor woman. Thanks everyone I feel better after my rant on here. Better here than on trip advisor. I can rest happily knowing my 230 reviews are neither bought or begged for all genuine.

Trip advisor is a platform unfortunately for a boatload of lies, as I have read many many times about the place where I used to work. I once read about something that supposedly happened whilst myself was on duty, actually when looking at the staff rota at the time, I was on a weeks holiday, but it was definitely me that did not sort the problem,from then on, trip advisor by me is given a very wide birth as it’s such crap,& people are just looking to upset the hotel or whatever to get there jolly’s out of it. Horrible platform ( some are genuine I add )

Generally every business will have some poor reviews, don't take it to heart. A business that only has glowing reviews is actually quite suspicious because it makes it look like the reviews are fake. What matters is how you respond to the negative reviews, and whether the same problems keep getting brought up.