Seems a bit sleazy paying for a review.Tell your best repeat customers you will waive their $10 co-pay if they leave you a review before they leave the office. Best marketing dollars you will ever spend.
I understand that she is in the wrong here. But from a business standpoint, how much did it cost you in employee time to deal with this? Way more than $10.I do not think anyone can deny the amazing benefits that this online world has given us. Information at the punch of a button is just incredible. One of the offshoots of this and online reputation, however, is it has essentially taught people that they can be grade A #######s to businesses and then get their way by bullying owners by threatening to crush them with negative online reviews. It does not happen a ton, but enough to make me shake my head.
Most recently had a mother of a girl we saw last July. She never paid her copy. I am one to not send anyone to collections promptly and avoid it at all costs. We send statements for months. We call her and explain, nothing. So she got sent to collections in January. 6 months for $10. So dumb. So then we get a check in the mail for her $10 and she pretends like she sent it in November and it was lost in the mail. Yeah. Postmarked February 26, 2018. Sure, she dated the check in November, but this envelope is pristine and clearly was barely sent. Also sent in a Christmas card envelope. We let her know it has been sent to collections and we cannot pull it from there without paying their fees and basically losing money on the whole thing. She cannot believe we would have done that since she clearly sent it back in October and then says fine, I know who to contact in the collections company (she was not dumb about this), but I am going to do all I can to tell people to not use your office.
I mean really, it is 100% your fault, and now because you did not get your way, you are going to threaten the business that was more than patient with your account? It just drives me crazyt. I get 1 or 2 of those a year, enough to anger me. It is always a millennial aged person, usually a female, and they bristle with SJW #####iness. Just a terrible offshoot of this online world we have. Too bad really, because I know many small businesses are hit by this.
Anyone else get this from time to time?
Also, how much does the collection agency charge? A typical agency charges 30% plus a $5 processing fee.I understand that she is in the wrong here. But from a business standpoint, how much did it cost you in employee time to deal with this? Way more than $10.
So businesses should just let low cost theft go and do nothing about it?I understand that she is in the wrong here. But from a business standpoint, how much did it cost you in employee time to deal with this? Way more than $10.
Shred? Just have someone (I'll do it) reply back with the other side of the story.I don't own a small business, so I can imagine you deal with all walks of life that I don't have to deal with. That must suck. But still, this shrew is going to shred your business online all for $10. Doesn't seem worth it, IMO.
If it costs them more to recoup, I would say it would be the right decision.So businesses should just let low cost theft go and do nothing about it?
That's a horrible idea.ChiefD said:Tell your best repeat customers you will waive their $10 co-pay if they leave you a review before they leave the office. Best marketing dollars you will ever spend.
Yelp Elite guy here... and I despise the ####wads that do that ####. My reviews trend overwhelmingly positive (Over 80% are 4 or 5 stars) and are under no grand delusions like some on the platform.More than anything maybe this was a rant for these individuals that do it to all sorts of businesses. There is an interesting video about the contempt that Anthony Bourdain has for yelpers and how they do this to restaurants.
A lot of company's are doing this to build reviews. Either offering gift cards to Starbucks, local restaurants, coupons for their services, whatever as part of their email campaigns or internal marketing plans. This has been going on for the last few years.That's a horrible idea.
You suggested targeting his best customersA lot of company's are doing this to build reviews. Either offering gift cards to Starbucks, local restaurants, coupons for their services, whatever as part of their email campaigns or internal marketing plans. This has been going on for the last few years.
Yep.You suggested targeting his best customers
When I was 20, I dropped out of school and worked as a carpenter with a rough cast of characters. One day Big Tim didn't make it into work, and it turned out he had stabbed his brother at dinner over the last piece of chicken. I was incredulous. "He stabbed his brother over a piece of chicken?"You sent somebody to collections over ten dollars?
Oh, I understand what the articles say. I'm just saying that company's have been doing this for years, and as Google reviews pile up, those companies get rewarded with front page rankings.
Yelp is garbage. They are the shadiest "review site" out there.Yelp Elite guy here... and I despise the ####wads that do that ####. My reviews trend overwhelmingly positive (Over 80% are 4 or 5 stars) and are under no grand delusions like some on the platform.
I use it a good bit (hence why I started contributing), and generally ignore the obviously spiteful reviews... I think most are smart enough to do that. I wouldn't sweat the occasional ####### trying to drag your name through the mud.
How is that any different than him asking good customers to post a review?
Also, how much does the collection agency charge? A typical agency charges 30% plus a $5 processing fee.
That's two dollars profit.
amazing Yelp is garbage. They are the shadiest "review site" out there.
works great for me and is the most reliable source for stuff like current photos of menus/pricing... seating types (do they have a patio, can it handle our group), etc. I don't think Yelp is trash because of BS reviews, it's trash because Yelp themselves will offer to suppress/edit/delete any and all negative reviews on my business if I pay a low, low fee. There's plenty of online review sites that don't just shake businesses down to artificially prop up a reputation.works great for me and is the most reliable source for stuff like current photos of menus/pricing... seating types (do they have a patio, can it handle our group), etc.
Best combo of features (like monocle, which is great in major cities), volume of reviews/photos. It's not hard to weed out the BS reviews. Nothing else out there really compares, IMO.
Yep...it happens to us on occasion. We know the ones who habitually do it, saying "I'll catch it next time, or just send me a bill."You would be surprised how many people will walk out. Makes you![]()
I don't think Yelp is trash because of BS reviews, it's trash because Yelp themselves will offer to suppress/edit/delete any and all negative reviews on my business if I pay a low, low fee. There's plenty of online review sites that don't just shake businesses down to artificially prop up a reputation.
I've heard of a couple instances of this but never any actual proof. You can view "suppressed" reviews pretty easily... I've checked them on lots of businesses out of curiosity... I've never seen what appeared to be a legit review from an established user get suppressed.
If you posted a negative review on my sites Yelp page I'll get a call this week offering to have your review pushed down or deleted. They actively solicit businesses, it is a good place to get info quickly though like outdoor dining, bar, etc...I've heard of a couple instances of this but never any actual proof. You can view "suppressed" reviews pretty easily... I've checked them on lots of businesses out of curiosity... I've never seen what appeared to be a legit review from an established user get suppressed.
Either way it's the best source for the type of info I'm usually looking for, so I continue to use it. I'm open to suggestions of superior options with comparable content levels, though. Just don't say TripAdvisor... that site is a ####show.![]()
$How is that any different than him asking good customers to post a review?
"By sending out a single-question survey to your customers, it finds who had a positive experience and pushes them through to post a review on the review sites of your choice."
I bet that ####er took some cornbread too.When I was 20, I dropped out of school and worked as a carpenter with a rough cast of characters. One day Big Tim didn't make it into work, and it turned out he had stabbed his brother at dinner over the last piece of chicken. I was incredulous. "He stabbed his brother over a piece of chicken?"
The response was instructive: "It's never just about the chicken."
Sometimes....I have found regular posters that have really good reviews. Most of the negative reviews for restaurants on Yelp have to do with service issues.Yelp is garbage. They are the shadiest "review site" out there.
It's not the reviewers that are the problem with Yelp. If you post a negative review for a business then that business will get a call from Yelp who will get rid of that negative review for a fee. That's shady IMO and it's not what a review site is supposed to be for.Sometimes....I have found regular posters that have really good reviews. Most of the negative reviews for restaurants on Yelp have to do with service issues.
I discard 1-2 bad reviews if overall the reviews are positive. When you have more bad than good there is usually some truth to them.
Thus is the biggest problem with yelp.If you posted a negative review on my sites Yelp page I'll get a call this week offering to have your review pushed down or deleted. They actively solicit businesses, it is a good place to get info quickly though like outdoor dining, bar, etc...
Grocery stores do it all day every day.So businesses should just let low cost theft go and do nothing about it?
Or, you know, charge the co-pay up front like most medical offices do.Can't believe the number of people in here ragging on him for chasing down the $10. Kind of hard to run a business if you just ignore stuff like that.
/threadAnd when you do all of that, and then there is someone that tries to deceive, that tries to mess you over, whether it is for $10 or $500, it gets under your skin.
Yep seems like a simple fix.Or, you know, charge the co-pay up front like most medical offices do.