After TripAdvisor is exposed for removing reviews at the request of the National Trust’s PR team, it is time that this biased review site got its house in order
TripAdvisor is a review site that wrecks businesses: It publishes the tirades of the bitter and those of rival operators of bars, hotels and restaurants and now that it has been exposed for colluding with members of the National Trust’s PR team, it is time that this site implemented policies to improve the transparency of the reviews it publishes.
Featured in the Mail on Sunday yesterday for deleting “hundreds of critical reviews of a [National Trust owned] country estate” named Wakehurst Palace, TripAdvisor showed itself as anything but impartial yet ridiculously claimed the actions had simply been done “in error”.
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TripAdvisor is a website that has built its success upon the fact that most people take to it when they’re disappointed. Those who’ve had good experiences don’t generally go there and as a result, the information presented to those who look at the review site before going to a venue is generally skewed.
In this instance, the opposite was achieved due to the manipulation of postings and yet again all that is shown is that consumers should operate by the premise that a fact isn’t a fact until they’ve checked it is a fact. Given there aren’t many of them on TripAdvisor, we urge our readers to steer well clear.
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Readers have their say
9 comments
Most restaurant reviews are very silly and amateurish. Steer clear of silly people giving top marks – i.e. ‘perfection ‘. Not even the best meal I’ve ever eaten was perfect.
You are quite right on the overuse of that word. Equally, however, TripAdvisor is just dominated by tales of hellish experiences rather than a balance with positive reviews.
I have never used TripAdviser. They have shot themselves in the foot over the site being used mainly for disappointed reviewing customers, instead of a good balance of healthy reviews. Surely if good quality ingredients are cooked to a customer’s personal style, is that not first rate?
As a guesthouse operator, my experience with TripAdvisor has been very good, fair, and accurate. But then again, I am blessed with many happy guests in general.. TripAdvisor also published two unsavory reviews, but in both cases provided me with an opportunity to respond, which I did.
My missus always asks me how I like my eggs done in the mornings! But they still end up like ten minutes over
Done but them I use them for golf practice.
Well at least you get some use out of them!
You are so right, and the rest of the “user-generated content” sites are in the same boat as them too. It’s time people started demanding the truth. Take a look at Letyano.com, a London based startup (by me!). Which seeks to redress the balance. Follow the link to read about our philosophy : http://tinyurl.com/og8xoh5
As a journal that often is ahead of the zeitgeist perhaps we should talk?
Regarsds
Guy Winterflood
Hello Guy, good start-up name by the way let ya no! I fill in loads of feedback forms and reviews on restaurants, hotels, stores, travel, special events etc. and get paid nothing. The reason I do it is because how would a business owner of a large corporation ever know this kind of information. We would all want to know how our clients feel about decent business practice. I had no idea information was being sold onto third parties etc. These current sites appear sadly open to manipulation and corruption and this platform requires an independent body. Your philosophy is good and I do feel it should be remunerated in some form ie. 10% off your next visit etc. Just so long as the review is honest and people can’t be paid to put nonsense and it has to on the site. Ps. I am a regular reader of Steeple Times.
I have used Trip Advisor for about five years and though aware of the pitfalls find it indispensable when travelling or planning a trip. I regularly contribute and would estimate that 85% of my reviews are positive and rarely find myself in a minority with the censorious ones. Combined with The Rough Guide it takes a lot of the guesswork out of pleasurable eating and accommodation.