Yelp To Let Businesses Talk Back
Yelp is a grassroots-driven business review website that has exploded in popularity in the last few years. That popularity has come with a fair share of troubles, from a lawsuit against a reviewer to shrill cries of extortion by businesses. In fact, Yelp has established a Myths page to dispel some of these misconceptions. However, the truth remains that Yelp is a very powerful guide for tourists and locals alike to find great restaurants and business wherever they might be. And soon, businesses might be able to have a public voice on the site for the first time.
Since the beginning, Yelp was built for the consumer to use and contribute to. Although Yelp staff are encouraged to review businesses as often as they can, the bulk of reviews in the database come from regular people who wish to share their experiences with others. That's great for you and me, but businesses have complained loudly that - especially in areas like San Francisco where Yelp is a big force - a few customers could potentially drive them out of business with a few very negative reviews.
According to USA Today and AriWriter, to address this perceived injustice, Yelp has been discussing the option to let businesses have a say on the public review page. Up until now, the best a business could do is privately mail the individuals posting the bad reviews and hopefully get the reviewer to change their mind enough to update their review. With the new process, a business can, after being authorized as the listed business in question, register a follow-up comment on a negative (or positive) review.
All we have today to look at is a screenshot (link to a larger version here) of what this might look like in an upcoming version of Yelp. Yelp will have to tread carefully with this as its user base, although fiercely loyal and protective of the service, is also usually very pro-consumer as well, and any move that looks like a concession or sellout to business interests might end up being harmful to its image down the road.
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Clearly businesses need to voice their opinion too... How does yelp make sure that businesses are not just writing rebuttals to customer feedback, but are focusing on writing honest clarifications or positive useful comments that lead to better customer satisfaction?
For a small business, giving money to Jeremy Stoppelman and Yelp is like handing a butcher knife to a serial killer.
Yelp needs to verify their reviews. Which is to say that the site needs to actually become trustworthy by being responsible, instead of simply calling themselves trustworthy and expecting people to believe them. They need to be diligent and REMOVE false reviews, either positive or negative, when those reviews are brought to their attention. They need to reinstate credible reviews by actual people, even if those people aren't doing what Yelp wants by spending all their free time on the site, filling it with free content. Short of this, there is no reason for Yelp to exist.
Allowing the subject of a negative review a right of reply is just a matter of courtesy. Users can judge for themselves what to believe. It is standard practice in journalism to allow people and businesses to defend themselves from allegations. This is especially important if the person making the allegation is anonymous. This is not a concession to big business - it is just a matter of fairness and balance. By combining user generated content with the rigour of good journalism you are creating soemthing more powerul than either in isolation
I love the idea that "all" a business can do is to make things right with the person who's complained. Isn't that the recourse businesses have had since Korg and his gang ranged the landscape? As customers, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN WHEN YOU SERVE US SHITTY FOOD, GIVE US LOUSY CUSTOMER SERVICE, SELL US THINGS THAT BREAK AND ACT LIKE BIG DUMMIES.
That said, I'm happy to have businesses respond on Yelp. It's supposed to be a conversation, after all. Here's my crystal ball, though. Resentful business people will gang on and screech at the people complaining, removing all doubt that the complainer has a good point and cementing the notion that the business being indicted is run by either at least a fool and at worst a monster. Don't believe me? Check out the tone of @Mten. Anyone want to bet this person doesn't own or run a business that's been lambasted by a customer?
Hey business owners: quit your bellyaching and COMPETE. Yelp's not your problem, YOU are.
Of course consumers have every right to complain about bad products, service, etc.Of course business have a right to respond (civilly). And of course one consumer's experience may not be typical, or the consumer may himself be a total wack job.
But what's missing from the conversation is how Yelp screwed the pooch from the get-go, pandering to the most sensational aspects of the consumer review process and destroying its own credibility in the process.
Now they're perceived as a protection racket, extorting small businesses for the right to address consumer concerns.(se numerous previous comments.)
It's like they've set up a soapbox in the public square in which people can get up and complain (and possibly slander) each other for free, but those who want to defend themselves have to pay a fee. Where I come from, that's called Extortion.
Ten years from now, Business 101 classes will be using Yelp as a classic example of how not to do good (and ethically responsible) social marketing.
Thanks you
Thanks for the shout-out, Phil. I don't have a stance on the back and forth extortion and all, but I am interested to see the development of this new feature.
But we at FeedbackJar already let owners reply back.