In part one I looked at two very obvious traits in ‘Troll’ reviews: fabricated negative scores and experiences to hram a competitor’s reputation.
In part two, I will talk about other things to consider before putting too much weight in someone’s e-pinions.
Has anyone commented on the review?
Another element of this social web that we seem to love is the ability to chime in with a ‘Yeah! I completely agree!’ or ‘That’s completely unfounded.’ Take a look at what is being said about the review: often times the business will respond to negative reviews with a way to rectify the situation, or simply to respond to the accusations. The comments left by a reviewer can also be a keen insight into who they are: what they value or dislike can vary greatly from you. So the reasons that drive them form a business might be factors that you are specifically looking for.
In short, don’t just look at the number of stars.
Do they seem to have an axe to grind?
One of the negative elements of the pseudo-anonymous environment created by yelp [and the internet in general] is people tend to overstate things. It’s understandable: so much of this social networking is about generating attention, and entertaining your audience with scathing phrases and witty quips equals more attention.
Will your experiences vary from theirs?
Likely. In fact, I will say ‘Yes’.
In closing, it’s important to maintain perspective when reading something, really anything, online or out here in ‘meat space’. Consider the source. And the whole article, not just the bullet points. The fact is, if you have truly been wronged by a business; if they have ruined your laundry, or your birthday dinner, or your oil change, or your prescriptions there is a very simple way you can exact your revenge:
Never Go There Again
Weird, right? It must have been what we did before yelp. And it will be what we do when yelp has gone the way of pets.com and myspace.
Ok, I am actually going to get to work on stuff for the New York Movers now.
SR