Can you fight the Big Evil Yelp? This man did.

[Spendulus]

The restaurant owner who asked for 1-star Yelp reviews

How one small business owner flipped the online review ecosystem on its head.

In 2014, chef Davide Cerretini advertised a special that would forever change his fate: Anyone who left his restaurant a 1-star review on Yelp would get 25% off a pizza.

See, his Bay Area-based Italian joint, Botto Bistro, was at a crossroads. Like many small businesses, it was enslaved to the whims of online reviewers, whose public dispatches could make or break its reputation.

He’d had enough: It was time to pry the stars from the “cold, grubby hands of Yelpers” and take control of his own destiny.

But the move would set Cerretini at the center of a long-standing battle between Yelp and disgruntled business owners — a battle including cries of “extortion,” review manipulation, and predatory advertising tactics.


https://thehustle.co/botto-bistro-1-star-yelp/?utm_source=pocket-newtab

[Spendulus]

Topic should be merged, I notice another exists same subject.

[TheCoinGrabber]

Would be nice if there would be more outraged people to prompt an investigation. It appears that there's a climate of backlash against the tech industry these days.

A member of the company called the act of defiance a publicity stunt that had a negligible impact on the platform’s operations.

Ha, they'd still be clueless when this blows all over their faces. Again, Silicon Valley guys far removed from reality.

[mOgliE]

Could it be that monopoly of big companies isn't a good thing? That capitalism is indeed just dictatorship with more steps?

[TECSHARE]

Could it be that monopoly of big companies isn't a good thing? That capitalism is indeed just dictatorship with more steps?

Yeah, take it from mOgliE, he gets his talking points from Rick & Morty.

[tiknack]

Outstanding move

[coolcoinz]

He even gave 50% off for a review. I'd be eating there every day. To help a cause of course  Cheap pizza made by an Italian? You can count on me!
The idea was actually quite good. He didn't want to pay for adds and faking reviews would work even worse, so he played it on his terms by setting on a journey to become the lowest rated on site. He beat them in their own game.

[Mometaskers]

He even gave 50% off for a review. I'd be eating there every day. To help a cause of course  Cheap pizza made by an Italian? You can count on me!
The idea was actually quite good. He didn't want to pay for adds and faking reviews would work even worse, so he played it on his terms by setting on a journey to become the lowest rated on site. He beat them in their own game.

My faith in humanity was somehow slightly restored when it was mentioned that many of the customers refused the discount. Sure some of those that came likely just wanted to see what it's all about but I suspect that some came out for support.