The Yelper’s Sense of Entitlement
Yelp certainly has its problems, and anyone who has taken the time to wade through the sea of nonsensical reviews would agree, but even I have to admit that its been useful on occasion. Unfortunately, upset customers tend to be the most vocal, and it’s impossible for an establishment to please everyone. That being the case, the service often finds itself plagued by it own users — people with a false sense of entitlement and way too much time on their hands. Don’t believe me? Just check out this hilarious Tumblr account that chronicles some of the worst Yelp reviews ever written. Normally, I would say that I’ve never seen so many ridiculous reviews in one place before, but that’s not true — I’ve also browsed Apple’s app store.
It’s just a shame that a system designed to help us is so inherently flawed, but I guess that’s the chance we take when you let anyone review anything they want. I’ve also heard stories of restaurant managers going out of their way to contact users who leave harsh reviews in an effort to better their experience and that’s really great, but as that blog above clearly demonstrates, not ever review is constructive. I really hope Yelp finds a way to police itself because I know plenty of businesses suffer as a result of those frivolous posts. After all, how hard can it be to offer something constructive.