Are You Causing Your Own Reputation Problems?
It’s no secret, I love Yelp, and have been an active Yelper since April of 2008. I was reading a discussion on my local Yelp thread today about about a business going in and creating 9 different profiles, and submitting the same company (a computer repair service company – my guess was his) a 5 star review on each one. I get it, you want to try and game the system, figure out how to push the boundaries … but cmon’ that’s just damn stupid!
Not only did the accounts all get removed and banned from Yelp, but the business then proceeded to get real reviews, (for doing so) from real – active Yelpers – and trust me … they are not good.  In less then a day, this idiot business owner has created himself a reputation management nightmare that will be very hard to overcome. Yelp ranks well, as he obviously knew, but what he failed to understand is why it ranks so well (much trust), and how the community works. These negative nasty reviews on his business listing (the real one finally – haha) will probably rank above his website, or close to it, and guess what? It’s always going to be there!
Check out the sad screen-shot of this dudes Yelp Listing as of today: It is not my intent to call any one out in this post, I am simply using this as a teaching opportunity. (I just didn’t feel right putting their contact info all our in the open, or the Yelpers slamming them, so that is why I blacked it out. I am sure if you really want to find out, you can!) So far, they have 3 reviews, and are all one star and negative because of how they tried to spam Yelp, and guess what? This page is going to rank well on Google FOR THEIR BUSINESS NAME, and forever haunt them!
The moral of the story ladies and gentlemen? When it comes to reviews, reputation management and Yelp? – Don’t be an idiot like this spammer! The community does a really good job of weeding this stuff out (and policing – as you can see), and an even better job when you make it as obvious as this user did. The Yelp community does not make it a point to go and leave negative reviews for a person who just doesn’t know better, but when someone is as blatant as this spammer was – they will react, and you will end up with a reputation nightmare on Yelp, AND Google!
If you have a business and you want it on Yelp, go fill out the Yelp for business and let the reviews come naturally. They will, and if you focus on running a good ethical business and taking care of people, then you need not worry about what people will say. They will take care of you in communities like this, trust me!
Well it is obvious that that computer repair business has learnt their lessons the hard way.
Having said that, I have seen much worse. Theirs was obviously a misjudgement, but not a hanging offence. Let us hope they can learn from their mistakes and move on.
Oscar Del Santo´s last blog ..SEO 101: What every online PR should know
@Oscar Del Santo
agree, I have a favorites folder full of examples, but felt it was time to share. I hope they learn from it too, and make better choices as a business owner from here on out!
The problem with system like Yelp is that they are centralized then subject to “lobbying” or even more, open to biais towards the one who pay.
I don’t trust Yelp.I don’t trust centralized community sites (like Ideastorm).
Reviews from people on their blog (as long as they have to disclose whether they are doing paid reviews) are to me much more accurate.
Best
@dominiq
nice try … they never remove reviews (unless spam) and a business owner can pay for the review they like to be “sponsored” which will show up first (labeled as a sponsored review) all disclosed … not biased … any business owner can do this. But all reviews will be left – even negative ones) I have been Yelping for almost two years now and it has led me to some amazing places.
I think what you are describing are sites like ROR … a true lobbied and biased site.
I also don’t mind paid blog posts either (and agree with you), but to have a system that is all in one place (like Yelp) – and even better an app right in the palm of my hand – even better.
I appreciate you stopping by and leaving your two cents though!
LOL, that is crazy. Some people don’t think things through and always try to take the short cut to success.. Long term success always happens by providing a good product or service and being honest and reliable in everything you do.
@Dataflurry
agreed, agreed!
I had so many problems because of one star review that I gave to a dentist. What I wrote wasn’t even bad or offensive. The dentist ended up giving my full name on the Yelp Talk. His lawyer sent me a threatening and intimidating letter asking me to remove my review. I think he sent a letter to Yelp too because Yelp instead removed his reviews from his pages. It was a feeling of being hugged by Yelp, feeling understood. I am so thankful to Yelp. The lawyer then offered me $2.000 and I stood my grounds. There is no money to pay for my right to use the first amendment. The country that I came from does not allow to talk in public about a bad experience with the medical field so I truly value the free speech here.
Anyway not accepting the money made the lawyer threat me with suing me for emotional damage. He knows he is not able to sue me for slander as I am speaking the truth.
Yelp I am grateful to you.
@summer
Good job for sticking to your guns on that one.. no room for bullying when it comes to that!
Yelp has to be the biggest trash site on the web. It is usually a very cliquish site withing the city you Yelp in. I placed hundred of reviews and pictures on Yelp and kept getting repeatly banned for what seemed like no reason. All Yelp support would tell me was due to multiple accounts. Which I only had one account going at a time and would start up a new Yelp account when they deleted the previous one. Edgar from Yelp in email told me I am banned from Yelp for life. They now have my ISP blocked out. Yelp is RETARDED and the RAG of the internet!
@mainlandheathen
Angry much? That stinks you had so many issues with Yelp, but I have never experienced anything but BLISS with Yelp. Best,
I haven’t found yelp all that bad. But yet not all that good either. It seems like the site is like that girl in high school who half the senior class has dated and the other half doesn’t need too.
But at least I wasn’t this guy.
http://coffeevancouver.ca/2009/05/06/how-i-got-banned-from-yelp/
yelp is a cool site and i find the reviews helpful sometimes. I have also found that if there is a system in place to rate people or sites then it will be manipulated by some idiot. It can be discouraging for those that use systems correctly
blog promotion´s last blog ..Leaving Comments a important Blog Promotion Trick
Ah! Thank you for posting this!| There have been a mass of different
info blogged about, this dispells, puts to rest
some of what I’ve seen.
@Mat Siltala – they “never remove reviews”?? Really?? I’ve been trying to honestly Yelp for months (not a heavy user, though, just don’t have time for it) and have yet to have a review that didn’t get removed. It’s very frustrating, because it can be hard for vegetarians and vegans to find reliable information about where to eat, so I wanted to share my experiences as I’ve traveled to different places. I have reviews of restaurants in New York, Asheville NC, Denver, and Las Vegas – and all of them have been removed.
@minsha
I’d checked out Urban Spoon. They are a lot more transparent and I really like their iPhone app.
I don’t work for Urban Spoon, I just really like their site.
cheers
Robert Dall
coffeevancouver.ca
“And the coffee blogger banned by yelp”
I am still on the doubter’s side with Yelp. We are on the site as a business and have five reviews, all relatively negative for standard reasons (don’t like our price, think we have bad CS because we do not give money back after the item is used, etc). About 99% of our clients like us and occasionally ask how they can help. We suggest they Yelp!.
So last week we finally get a good review and 2 days later it disappears. Meanwhile one of competitors with a whole bunch of bad reviews (clients called the police! etc) has had all those reviews disappear – what a surprise!
We think Yelp is being manipulated – I do not believe in robot filters.
In the meantime, we keep trying as hard as we can to give great customer service and great product at great prices. Oh well I guess this piece of technology has to be ignored
@Gerry Lewarne
I hear ya and I have talked to the “powers that be” at Yelp on numerous occasions about this very thing. They believe in their filters and feel they have a good control over people gaming the system. I really doubt it will get much better until they do a better job at listening to people like you and other small business owners that have had some obvious issues. On the other hand, look at the issues people are having with your business and see if there is something that you can do to solve the problems that users are having. Look at is as an opportunity to grow and get better. If you flag reviews that are obvious fake (or competitiors jacking you) and you keep flagging them, and get others to flag them – they will have no choice but to take a look. That’s my .02
Yelp allows postings that should not be there. In spite of their policy, I notice cemments contaning personal attacks and defamation and obvious as such, but prevailing on yelp.
I had posted about a business I like and had a long and detailed post there. Yelp pulled it out. Other posts were quite supportive of that business as well.
One person didn’t like the owner’s background who was born in a different country and guess which post comes up when you do a search on the company name? All the other posts are gone, which were put there by actual clients of that company, including yours truly…If somebody is out to get someone, their competiton, disgruntled employee or simply someone who can’t retain the business for financial reason and wants everything for free, that individual will likely be posting on Yelp.. They could make defamatory comments because they are resentful or unable to afford the services offered or they simply own a competitive business. They will prevail on yelp as they will look more like an actual comment than REAL clients of the business’s who want to support good people and a great company by posting their actual experience. Very stupid system, they should let all the posts show and let consumers sort it out. Hatred and slander ususally is what it smells like it is… However good comments should all be allowed to list in searches as well. yelp you suck!
@MG S.
You make a lot of valid points here, and your issues with Yelp are not unique. My suggestion would be to “flag reviews” that you KNOW are of HATE, FROM A COMPETITOR, OBVIOUS SLANDER” and document it, Take screenshots of it, and do your due dilligence in taking the bull by the horn and stopping it. If you do all that YELP is BOUND to listen to you, and if they don’t, you may actually have a good case. Again, just my .02
Not sure of their filter. I wrote my first review, and lo and behold it ended up being filtered. Oddly, out of 11 reviews for this particular Hair Salon & Spa, 5 were filtered and I can’t see why. Any explanations?
I don’t see why I should invite friends and or waste my time writing a review, for it to end up being filtered.
I personally think there is more to it, Right Jeremy!
While I am happy that prospective clients can access reviews on my services and my salon, I am puzzled by Yelp and their policies. We have many positive reviews and a very few negative reviews. The few negative reviews are years old and yet they continue to appear on this site. In our salon, the stylists operate their own business. Stylists who don’t serve their clients well or perform below standard are encouraged to move on. It’s disappointing to check our rating and find it still reflecting complaints about people who are no longer with us, and clients of disgruntled former stylists still slandering our salon. It is also disheartening to see more current reviews being “filtered” and ancient and irrelevent reviews being in the forefront. I am looking forward to the day that Yelp creates a “filter” that more realistically portrays the current service we provide!
Deanna, just got some additional feedback from Yelp: Good feedback. What I’d suggest is that if this business hasn’t already, we’d encourage them to claim their free tools. Via those they can respond to comments publicly and privately and let yelpers and readers know that specific stylists have moved on and share insight about new staff in the “About Us” section. That would also be a good place to share insight into how their salon operates (ie: independent contractors)