fuck yelp

[Dorothy Wood]

seriously. some bitch gave my store 3 stars because I wasn't friendly. or my coworker wasn't. I can't tell. it was probably me.

not being friendly doesn't equal bad customer service. she liked her product, she called it "awesome". I'm a designer and I work there because I'm good at what I do, I shouldn't have to kiss someone's ass the whole time.

she gave our sister store 4 stars, but also complained about the service being "unfriendly". god damn, grow up and stop depending on strangers to validate your needy ass.

fuck yelp. fuck it in its ass, and fuck that lady because she probably hasn't been fucked in years.


I AM ANGRY.

[Audio.]

its just ONE negative comment. I dont think it matters in scale.

[Dorothy Wood]

well, we only have 5 reviews. and the one before that was some nonsensical jibberish and a score of 2. Then like 2 years ago we had a 4 star and two 5 star reviews.


I guess I just don't understand why people get upset when someone isn't super outgoing. it's not fair. it's even less fair that the work was quality, but she based her score on how she was treated...which was not poorly, just not friendly enough for her liking.

I make all the frames, I design the "totally awesome" window displays. I do all the paperwork, I'm the liason for distributors, I mop the god damn floor, I wipe the dog drool off the dog treat bowl that I put out every morning. Oh sorrrrry, I don't hop up and kiss your ass as soon as you walked in. FUCK YOU.

[Dorothy Wood]

sorry audio, thanks for trying to settle me down. :o

[Audio.]

no I completely understand. All the hard work put into the store should be appreciated like you've done but its just that ONE person that ignored all that. If you like I can make a review countering her's. :p

[Echewta]

Yelp is a pretty popular tool for checking out places to go.

I see no reason why to do your own review of the place.

[Dorothy Wood]

no I completely understand. All the hard work put into the store should be appreciated like you've done but its just that ONE person that ignored all that. If you like I can make a review countering her's. :p

ha, that would be awesome, but isn't that kinda cheating? I should just have my roommate do one, since she's actually been there and bought something. heh.


echewta, that seems like cheating too. my old work has a review up for both of their stores that says the exact same thing and was most definitely written by the owner's son. they're super shady dumb asses.


I'm starting to feel better now, thanks dudes. My bosses know I'm not the most cheerful person, but I'm sure I'm gonna get shit for it anyway.

ohh, internet.

[Bob]

yeah don't write a review for your own business. that's the kind of shady crap that makes people not like yelp

you can reply to reviews though, can't you? or maybe i'm thinking of amazon

[silence7]

You don't seem very friendly, so yeah, it probably was you...

fuck yelp. fuck it in its ass, and fuck that lady because she probably hasn't been fucked in years.

Seriously... Probably 1% of your shop/stores visitors even know what yelp even is, she had a bad day. Are you seriously going to let that 1% person f-up your whole day.... F-Them , and their review... Other people who come in and have a good experience will tell their REAL LIFE friends, and they'll come in and be fine also.. This whole online review of brick and mortar places is kinda over rated... RELAX.....

[The Notorious LOL]

I like that site.

[Audio.]

I like amazon's return policies

[jabumbo]

i am only rating this thread 3 starts because of the anger involved.


yelp has helped me find good restaurants in the past

[nodanaonlyzuul]

you can reply to reviews though, can't you? or maybe i'm thinking of amazon

you can do that but you have to pay yelp in order to do so if I remember correctly.

Yelp is great overall for customers to find good places to go for various services. However, just like anything, especially on the net, you will get those one or two people that are annoying and will rate badly even if it's not deserved.

As others said, ignore it. Also if you want to offset any negative reviews, encourage customers (if you are comfortable with it/it's okay with your boss/and so on) that appreciate the business and quality of products to write a review.

[rirv]

I thought a fuck yelp was going to be a noise you made during sex.

[Dorothy Wood]

yeah, it's still bothering me, but I've calmed. I was trying to figure out who the chick was by her name...but I can't. I was also considering writing her a message to apologize or explain that I'm shy. ha.

I figure it's not that big of a deal, it just sucks that we don't have any recent good reviews. it is truly a small percentage of people who complain, it just sucks that they're the most vocal about it.

meh, wealthy people like me, and they don't complain about price. they like that I'm quiet and efficient and offer good design and a quality product. stupid needy nouveau riche bitches always want their hands held. fuck that.

it's kind of like a bike shop I guess, if you look at reviews of bike shops, half of them are like, "not very friendly", "snobby", etc. but that's just because those dudes and ladies know how to fix bikes, they're not god damn customer service experts and they have to deal with idiots all day, so they get crabby.

I don't know, I just have a mean face too. I can't help it. I've had several strangers ask me lately "is everything okay?" Yeah! everything's okay, dipshit. and if it wasn't, what are you going to do about it?


guhh, I guess I better practice smiling so everyone doesn't feel so bad about themselves when they look at me. :rolleyes:

[cosmo105]

Customer service is (unfortunately) a big deal to a lot of people. If someone's extra friendly, and genuine about it, it'll make an impression on me. And a lot of times people only feel the urge to write a review if they had negative experiences, whereas positive ones sort of get buried a little easier (unless they're totally mindblowing awesome amazing blowjob funtimes).

[Dorothy Wood]

yeah, see, I like it when people are nice, but it truly makes me uncomfortable when they are overtly friendly. I very rarely go to Trader Joe's because of this (no offense, heh). I just don't feel the need to make a connection with every person I meet. I will be polite, but I know most people who ask don't actually care what kind of day I've had.

my favorite customers are my regulars who are extremely quiet and shy. one of them has a giant newfoundland doggie that comes in with her. he flops down and sprawls out and almost takes up the whole store! eee! anyway, they don't require anything of me, but design help. Sure, as time goes on, we have become slightly more friendly and comfortable...but I think my quietness makes them feel more comfortable being quiet people themselves. Anyway, they have a lot of money and spend it often. So I've gotta be doing something right.

I think rich people just have their own secret system, they don't go on Yelp.

[yeahwho]

You should put up a sign in front of your business that reads deaf and mute people are extremely welcome.

Of course the regular customers will still show up but when they do be sure to always ask them within a minute of entering your place of business (what is your business, a funeral home?) to ask them if they need any yelp.

Get it? Yelp.. can I yelp you?

[Dorothy Wood]

yup, it's a funeral home. and no, I don't get it. ;)



we used to have a "people love us on yelp!" sticker in the window, but the boss took it off for some reason. he also took down the "featured in [blah blah] magazine!" sticker. hmm, he took down our BBB sticker too.

oh well. my friend's going to get something framed and then write a nice review. that's only half-cheating, right?

[jabumbo]

ladies don't fix bikes, dorothy


2.5 stars

[Dorothy Wood]

excuse me?

[cosmo105]

I very rarely go to Trader Joe's because of this (no offense, heh).

Aw.

I learned some great things from that job. Most of the people I worked with were friendly in general, and after a while you realize that it makes a boring grocery store job much more fun when you're encouraged to be a happy person. It wasn't always easy to do when I was going through difficult times, but in a way it made it not so hard to slog through that when I had to at least pretend I was enjoying myself.

I'm saying, moods are contagious. You can be polite and nice without having to be dishonestly engaging or outgoing. That's what set that place apart from other chains - cashiers at regular grocery stores always looked four minutes away from suicide, whereas we had just come back from wine/hummus tasting in the back room and were just pleased as punch to give you some of these new sandwich cookies we just got in this very morning (y)

Sometimes I miss that job :o

[Dorothy Wood]

It does seem like a fun place to work, the atmosphere is definitely nicer than any other grocery store. It's just when I get to the checkout...I have to put on my happy face, and I usually don't wanna.

I have to tell myself every day to be more upbeat when I'm at work. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's not. Either way, it doesn't come naturally.

Now, when I'm teaching art, I'm more outgoing and happier because I enjoy helping kids make stuff, but still not super friendly. but, I find that most teenagers respond to that rather well. they don't think I'm a phony, so they trust me more.

[cosmo105]

I was kind of an asshole to everyone else there, though, so that made up for it. Fuck those phonies (y)

[jabumbo]

those trader joes sandwich cookies are the best (y)

[paul jones]

I like staff in stores to be moody cunts.I hate it when they hover around you like that fly thing in phantom menace and asking you 'can I help?' and all that shit.

[Yetra Flam]

Thought about this today, bringing it back.
From what I gather, Yelp.com was originally designed to create a community where people can share their experiences of local small businesses.
What it has become is an outlet for miserable high maintenance assholes to passive-aggressively try and damage the reputation of businesses who do not bend to their will.
From my situation, its become a way of "threatening" a business to give you additional discounts/services. Ive had some people use my name and write up entirely false reviews accusing me of horrible things with solely the intention of destroying my reputation and basically taking away my livelihood.
Additionally, there are a lot of businesses that give their customers some kind of compensation for a favorable review.
Total bullshit. I can never trust any yelp review now.

ZERO STARS

[Bob]

my favorite yelp review was of a local bar that just opened up in my city...i wish it was still published, i'd copy and paste it, but the author revised it (as she should have, but still). it was basically like "the service was good, they had a really big drink menu, and the food was ok, so no complaints there, but i think that local businesses should have more concern about the community. there was no bike rack outside, and when i asked the manager if i could bring my bike into the basement, he said no and told me to use the one down the street! [note: this bike rack is literally like 2 buildings down the street] i'm not asking for chemical toilets or anything, but jeez guys, try to show a little more concern for your community"

1 star

[Dorothy Wood]

haha, I was so pissed at that review. Luckily, it's been taken away and hidden behind the "filtered reviews". Yelp is weird, I didn't even realize there were filtered reviews until the one my friend wrote disappeared (yes, she patronized the business). There are a couple of other good ones that were honest, but filtered out for being fraudulent. So dumb.

I think I'm better at customer service now, mainly because I realized I should just take more pride in what I do and deliver myself more authoritatively like, "yes, I know things, I will help you do this".



Bob, I think I read that one, is it famous? or maybe you posted it?

I like this review by a person who wrote a shitty review of our other location because there was a $5 credit card minimum and the cashier suggested she add a $1 pin when her total was under $5 (we have since waived the minimum purchase) and that somehow infuriated her (though she wrote another glowing review for a similar store...even mentioned that they had a $5 minimum purchase in the review, but she was somehow totally fine with it).

Anyway, this is why she hates a local music venue:

On the side of my Facebook page, I saw an advertisement for Skysaw, Jimmy Chamberlin (guitarist, Smashing Pumpkins) band playing at the Metro on Saturday, June 25th. I decided to go with my friend and brother.

I forked over the $15 day of show admission per ticket for my brother and I. The bouncer accused me of being underage because I look young and asked me my middle name and hometown. turn off.

I get inside and really liked the place. It had a balcony and a spacious lower level to see the opening act. My friend grabbed a beer that was expensive for being so mediocre.

After fifteen minutes my brother needed to a cigarette. He went downstairs to ask the security guard if he could go outside to smoke a quick cigarette and he'd be right back inside. "No," he replied very rudely.

How are smokers supposed to smoke?!

My brother decided to go to the bathroom (stupid idea, I know), and outside the stall stood the security guard, waiting. He grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him out. When I found out, I begged him to just let him back in, it wouldn't happen again. The tyrant wouldn't allow it... so my $30 was blown and I didn't even get to see Skysaw's act at all.

I will not be back to the Metro. Not under the security measures they take for absolutely no good reason. Also, get a brain cell and have a way for smokers to go outside and smoke a cigarette.



ha ha, skysaw.

[Bob]

i've probably talked about it before. maybe i posted it on facebook or something

i love reading yelp reviews of sketch hole in the wall places.

here's one of a local chinese food place, whose claim to fame is "we're open the latest in town!"

http://www.yelp.com/biz/golden-light-somerville

...But the anecdote that makes Golden Light a legend took place during a hot July night. I walked inside the restaurant to find the kitchen staff not only with their shirts off, but also shaking said shirts profusely while food was cooking. I'm not sure if they were trying to dry out the shirts, put out a fire, or simply cool each other off with shirt-wind, but the image will stay burned in my mind forever.

I hope that one day I will drunkenly walk by Golden Light and say "No! Not today, I am better than this". But until then, one order of pork Lo Mein please!

I would like to conclude with a friendly little note to Golden Light. When you are talking to a customer on the phone, and decide to curse at them in Cantonese, you should know that there is a chance that the customer KNOWS CANTONESE. Because yes, I completely understood when you told me to "pok gai" (roughly translating to "go die in a street") just because I had to pause to ask my friend your question regarding his order. Not so smug afterward when I finished out my order in Cantonese huh? Asswipe.

[Bob]

then there was this weird frozen yogurt place

http://www.yelp.com/biz/sp%C3%BCn-somerville-2

I was so excited in yesterday's heat when I walked past Spün and the front door was open, so I walked inside...and didn't see anyone. "Hello?" I yelled over the loud music once. "Hello?" I yelled over the loud music twice. And then a third time.

After my third yell, someone else walked in. "I'm not sure if anyone's here," I told her. I keep yelling and I get no response. "I've never seen this place open," she told me. "Me neither." We both tried yelling, to no success - until someone finally came up to the counter. I had been there for about five minutes at this point.

First, when I arrived there was a "be back in ten minutes" sign up. I was so determined to try Spün that I actually waited, as did a family of three. We wanted yogurt. When the owner finally came back, carrying a bag of sugar and other ingredients with him I felt awkward. "They don't have enough supplies to make it through a THURSDAY?" I thought to myself. No, I found out they actually did not have enough supplies to make it through a Wednesday night.

...

More horrifying than the lack of business acumen to have enough supplies to make it through Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon was the offering of toppings. Bugs were crawling EVERYWHERE. In all honesty, I am surprised I even went through with eating the yogurt and did not go right to reporting the sheer amount of insect in the toppings. Maybe insects were a topping? I don't know. Now we'll never know because Spün is now closed 24/7.

Our first trip was good and then every other attempt to go here resulted in "wait...why are they closed?"

Well after a couple months of attempting to go here on warm weeknights, Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings and seeing that they are closed, there is now a For Rent sign in the window.

You will not be missed.


i thought about applying for a job there when i was unemployed. maybe i could have turned the place around

[Pres Zount]

Bob you would have been wonderful.

[Bob]

they put up a "help wanted" sign and i thought about going in but

a) this was shortly after law school, when i still had pride and

b) that place was weird as hell. the door was glass and people kept smashing it for some reason. i don't even live in a rough neighborhood or anything, so i don't even know. maybe the place was a drug front or something

[The Notorious LOL]

I used to post a lot, but it kind of lost its novelty. Mostly I only reviewed things if they were either quite good or quite bad, or if I thought the review would be funny. A lot of the fellow reviewers were pretty self important and would act like eating at an Outback or Chili's would be as bad as being castrated. I mostly just typed them because it was fun. One particularly annoying user wrote a long winded review about how he dislikes a Latino/Asian fusion restaurant because they have "offensive" billboards. He admits he likes their food, but gives it one star anyway.

I think in some ways it has helped popularize establishments that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. At least for me, its made me aware of restaurants or bars I hadn't been to previously. I think for some long standing businesses, nothing would impact them...but for up and comers, a lot of bad Yelp reviews could be bad for business.

[Yetra Flam]

^ negative reviews haven't affected my business hugely, but I'm more annoyed at the fact that people have written falsified reviews with the INTENTION of harming my business.
I just don't get it, if a client/customer has an issue or problem with something I would certainly do what I can to fix it there and then. Even if they bitch to my face, I'll resolve it - no problems, no attitude. I make that really clear. What would possess someone to not express concerns or frustration with the manager and just go straight to the internet and write a bad review? And that goes for most of the negative reviews I see - why didnt you complain to the manager/supervisor? Passive aggressive people Smh.

[Bob]

to be fair, it is a lot easier to complain about broken things on the internet than it is to work with people to fix them

[paul jones]

to be fair, it is a lot easier to complain about broken things on the internet than it is to work with people to fix them

too true(y)

[Dorothy Wood]

Maybe Yelp would be better if there weren't stars involved? People could still get out their frustrations and write reviews, but not drag down businesses because of one bad experience. I mean, my store doesn't have many reviews, and it sucks that the one 2-star review we received is still there bringing down the average. It doesn't even seem like a real review, the guy spells things wrong and it's from years ago when we had a completely different staff. I don't think it's fair. But hopefully people weigh the good with the bad and decide for themselves rather than completely adhere to the star system.

[Pres Zount]

As bad as it seems, I do like the idea of being able to deal a possibly mortal blow to a new business if it slighted me in ways that shouldn't matter. I like the idea of that power. Yes I'm a bitter person, but I don't want to talk to the manager to sort out issues like rude staff or a cold breeze while I'm eating; I want to ruin their livelihood to make me feel better about my own inadequacies.

[na§tee]

to be fair, it is a lot easier to complain about broken things on the internet than it is to work with people to fix them
this is exactly true. people complain online because it's easy, anonymous, and instant. most negative online reviews will be over the top negative mostly because the person has written it in the heat of the moment and are still fuming.

i deal with complaints all the time and have come to the conclusion that while some people are inherent moany asses, most complaints highlight things that genuinely need to be improved in the business. they're inevitably a bit exaggerated sometimes but that's ok. if you turn a negative experience around into a positive for the customer they will end up apologising to YOU, it's very weird! (but nice) that's why it is frustrating if people don't complain in person or leave contact details - i always try to get in touch and find out more information.

[M|X|Y]

when i see negative comments on yelp for something i'm interested in, i like to look at the posters' other comments to assess their level of bitchness. a lot of times they are just complainy in general.

[drizl]

I hate yelp because it gets brought up at every managers meeting. Its obnoxious and annoying and it sucks.

[abbott]

If the press has their way...