Do you leave negative Yelp reviews?

[Circe]

Looks like it's time to find a new cobbler: the one I'd been using screwed up a pair of my favorite shoes, and when I politely brought them back in to be refixed acted as though I was lying for free repairs.

Yeah, no. I told the woman I wouldn't be coming back and she'd been very rude. But I still feel ticked. Same with the crappy local jeweler who botched a setting job a few months ago. Neither 20-50 dollar job is worth pursuing further in terms of money back or repair, since I don't need the agita ... But while the thought of venting my spleen in Yelp is kinda nice, it also makes me feel oddly petty. What do you guys do?

 

[AmeliaG]

Since i write reviews to be informative, I try to write complete reviews, the good, the bad, the ugly - sometimes that can all happen in one transaction - and I figure other potential customers can take what's useful for them. I very rarely write a totally glowing review, and rarely write a total negative review.

FWIW, when reading other people's reviews, I quickly disregard the ones where the writer is clearly venting his spleen. Those types of reviews just aren't useful for me in deciding whether I want to do business with this vendor. From the limited scope of one review, it's hard to tell whether this is a really lousy vendor or whether this vendor was unlucky enough to get the customer from hell.

I place a greater trust in individual comments in the review than in the total review, i.e., the negative comments in a positive review or the positive comments in a negative review. Overall, I've found these comments to be dead on accurate.

 

[ieatbugs]

Looks like it's time to find a new cobbler: the one I'd been using screwed up a pair of my favorite shoes, and when I politely brought them back in to be refixed acted as though I was lying for free repairs.

Yeah, no. I told the woman I wouldn't be coming back and she'd been very rude. But I still feel ticked. Same with the crappy local jeweler who botched a setting job a few months ago. Neither 20-50 dollar job is worth pursuing further in terms of money back or repair, since I don't need the agita ... But while the thought of venting my spleen in Yelp is kinda nice, it also makes me feel oddly petty. What do you guys do?

Yes I like to. But I also like to write positive ones for places that are AWESOME.

When I was getting a CT scan done recently I had a tech told me after I requested a copy of my report that I really didn't want it because it had "big words" in there. I was pretty upset that I was advised to not ask for a copy of my own medical records so I posted that.

I also went through a series of really incompetent dentists who didn't take me very seriously and I ended up having a dental abscess that was misdiagnosed and went untreated for months.

I feel as though it's practically a public service to warn other people in some cases: I suffered a lot from poor care and I wouldn't want anyone else to go through that.

 

[Skippy123]

I write both. I actually had a horrific experience at a car dealership and waited about a year to actually write it since I did not want to write a hateful review. I wrote something useful to other shoppers and after I did I noticed others had similar awful experiences so I think it is good to leave a review, good or bad. I think you should write your review.

 

[sonnyjane]

Yelp would have no purpose if people only posted positive reviews. If you had a negative experience, there's absolutely nothing wrong in writing an honest review. There's no need to attack or exaggerate, but just detailing a recent negative experience benefits future customers.

 

[AmeliaG]

I realized after reading my post, I didn't write would I WOULD do!

I'd write something like this:

'After xx months of good service, I sent in my shoes for __________ and got ___________. When I pointed out the mistake, they denied it and refused to fix it without additional charge. Since I didn't get the fix I originally paid for, I took my shoes elsewhere."

Short, simple, and to the point. People can interpret it as they want to but at least I've done my due diligence.

 

[bluebirrrd]

I think you should simply because Yelp is already known for overgenerous positive reviews. As mentioned above, the reviews are meaningless if people only write about positive experiences.

 

[ieatbugs]

Looks like it's time to find a new cobbler: the one I'd been using screwed up a pair of my favorite shoes, and when I politely brought them back in to be refixed acted as though I was lying for free repairs.

Yeah, no. I told the woman I wouldn't be coming back and she'd been very rude. But I still feel ticked. Same with the crappy local jeweler who botched a setting job a few months ago. Neither 20-50 dollar job is worth pursuing further in terms of money back or repair, since I don't need the agita ... But while the thought of venting my spleen in Yelp is kinda nice, it also makes me feel oddly petty. What do you guys do?

How did you pay for the shoe repair btw?

If it was via credit or debit, you can always ask them to perform a chargeback.

When requesting that a vendor fix a mistake they made that costs you money, it never hurts to remind them about your ability to exercise your right to perform a chargeback if they aren't reasonable.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I also write good and bad reviews. That's what is so great about yelp. It helps the consumer decide where to eat, shop, who to hire, etc.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I don't post on yelp--but use trip advisor in the same fashion. I am careful to point out what was positive in addition to "improvements or recommendations". Rarely do I post anything completely negative because if I read something like that, I do wonder if people are writing to be vengeful. I absorb more of a balanced perspective; that said, if 90% of people are posting bad reviews, then if it walks like a duck.....

Circe, I am sorry for your experience with a pair of favorite shoes--it is frustrating to be sure. And rudeness is challenging at best to deal with. Not that you require my advice, but in my own experience I don't tell a vendor that I will "never return" because they have no incentive to improve their service to you or offer amends...since you won't be back. On one recent occasion where it was wrongly supposed that I was complaining out of turn, I politely asked if "my credibility was in question" and that was surprising to the person who became embarrassed when they realized they had become defensive for nothing.

cheers--Sharon

 

[tuffyluvr]

Absolutely! But I dont get emotional and I stay diplomatic. I write reviews to be helpful to others, and if I get bad service I want to let others know. I others' reviews help me to make decisions on which businesses to patronize, and I appreciate other people's reviews whether bad or good. Of course if someone is emotional/irrational/venting it's pretty obvious and I take those with a grain of salt.

 

[AprilBaby]

Wrote my first one this week and boy did they deserve it. I am generally a positive person and give credit where due, but this one definetly deserved it!

 

[ame]

I do if they're accurate.

 

[Indylady]

I don't write reviews, but I do read them and I always appreciate both positive and negative reviews. I think people seeking out reviews want them for that purpose--to evaluate a place. As a reader, I want to see the negatives too!

 

[AmeliaG]

Just curious, Circe, what did you decide?

 

[GirlyGirl]

I realized after reading my post, I didn't write would I WOULD do!

I'd write something like this:

'After xx months of good service, I sent in my shoes for __________ and got ___________. When I pointed out the mistake, they denied it and refused to fix it without additional charge. Since I didn't get the fix I originally paid for, I took my shoes elsewhere."

Short, simple, and to the point. People can interpret it as they want to but at least I've done my due diligence.

I wrote a similar review for an alteration shop I had used for years.

I use yelp to figure out where to take my business. I write reviews so that others can make informed choices. I enjoy writing positive reviews. I feel like I'm giving back for excellent service.

I vote for writing a review.

 

[GirlyGirl]

I do if they're accurate.

I hope I don't sound stalkery. I read a negative review your had written on a business. It helped me decide what sort of work I would like them to do for me and what work I would be comfortable with. In the end, I decided to go with that business but your negative review helped me figure out what I wanted and what I did not want.

OP, negative reviews help skeptical people choose what to do. I like reading opinions of a business' limits. It seems like your cobbler's limit is caring about customer loyalty.

 

[iheartscience]

Yep, I definitely write negative reviews, as well as positive ones. As a somewhat recent transplant to a new city I rely on Yelp to find everything from a good seafood market to a good dermatologist, and the negative reviews are just as helpful as the positive ones!

 

[Circe]

Just curious, Circe, what did you decide?

I'm leaning towards leaving the review: I never wanted to flame them, but the experiences left a bad taste in my mouth. If a little warning either makes other people know what to expect, or encourages the business to mend their ways? Well, fair enough. More than anything, though, this thread has me making a list of places and people I should leave good reviews for - I never thought about it, but, yeah, I totally should! I know they help me when I'm trying to decide.

 

[AmeliaG]

I'm glad you've decided to leave a review. It's extra effort but it's worth it - and hell, it's being assertive.

I left some minor negative comments for the hospital I stayed in and I was overall pleased with them. Even if a business provides overall great service, if they don't hear what's not working, they don't know what to improve and businesses with good customer service are always looking for new ways to improve.

This was our biggest gripe when I was in training. We used to call the class evaluation surveys 'glad sheets' because they were short, positive, and totally useless when it came time to review our performance and identify areas for improvement.

I'm curious though, you'd been that cobbler's loyal customer for awhile. I assume you were pleased. What do you think happened? Change of ownership, a sudden increase in employee turnover, sudden increase in customer traffic that the business couldn't keep up with? You usually don't see a major drop-off in service unless the business undergoes a massive change. That I've found very helpful in customer reviews. Change of ownership will usually cause me to write off a business forever but I might be willing to give a business a try if it has been experiencing growing pains.

 

[Circe]

I don't know if it was a change in ownership, or if the good service I experienced at first was an aberration. I had only been there two or three times before things went south, these last two visits. The first few times I dealt with a gentleman who did an amazing job stitching a crack in a pair of Fluevogs with a hard-to-work leather (it's basically brocade-printed leather, and he did such a good job that even the dude at the Fluevog store was impressed). So, of course, when I wanted to get a Cartier briefcase and my fancy thigh-high boots and my beloved Prada shoes fixed, I went back ....

... and the gentleman was gone, and in his place was a lady who seemed like she didn't know what she was talking about. I hoped he was still working in back if not at the desk, but the discrepancy in results makes me think not. Looks like the new lady is fine with resoling, but crap at everything else, including good manners. Alas ....

... anybody in NYC know a good cobbler?

 

[AmeliaG]

I wish I did! If you find a good one, can you let me know?

The first few times I dealt with a gentleman who did an amazing job stitching a crack in a pair of Fluevogs with a hard-to-work leather (it's basically brocade-printed leather, and he did such a good job that even the dude at the Fluevog store was impressed). So, of course, when I wanted to get a Cartier briefcase and my fancy thigh-high boots and my beloved Prada shoes fixed, I went back ....

... and the gentleman was gone, and in his place was a lady who seemed like she didn't know what she was talking about. I hoped he was still working in back if not at the desk, but the discrepancy in results makes me think not.

Circe, I'd definitely put this in the review. Businesses need to know how a personnel change may cause a deterioration in service. I use restaurant reviews to decide where I'm going to eat and I pay close attention when customers say a business has declined in service.

If you use the review just to vent and you're the only one; its easy for other readers to write you off as a difficult customer. However, if you put details of a decline in service, then others will pay attention and maybe be inspired to write their own reviews. This is a major problem with small service businesses in New York. They get a good reputation and then either they get sold or they realize they can't stay in business doing it the old way and they change their business model to be more profitable and customer service goes down the toilet.

It's happened to my favorite Japanese restaurant. It used to be such a great find; now the owner is having trouble staying in business and he's cutting the quality of the fish and raising the prices and his staff keeps changing so they don't know how to serve customers. I sadly had to write him off. I definitely wrote that review. The old reviews were so positive that I had to set the record straight. It's not like that any more.

 

[distracts]

I write negative reviews as well as positive reviews and in-between reviews. I have left one review that is COMPLETELY negative - that is for the jeweler that insulted my mother's ring and almost made her cry. They also insulted their own pieces that I was interested in, and gave me completely inaccurate information about repairwork. So I felt in that case it was warranted. And it wasn't like I just blasted them - I described the interactions we had and said that as a result of those I would never go back and would advise others not to go there as well. It is not MY fault that it was an unmitigatedly atrocious experience. The owner of the store has contacted me on Yelp to ask me what they can do to for me to have me alter my review but... once you make my mom almost cry, you don't get a second chance. I haven't replied because apparently if you don't reply they can't contact you again.

 

[amc80]

Yep! On Trip Advisor as well. I also write good ones. I'm honest and try to be fair. I'll also email the manager/owner of an establishment if I experience particularly good or bad service. I've found that they really appreciate the feedback.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I've left both positive and negative reviews on Yelp.

At one point I noticed the trend of me leaving reviews more often after bad experiences, so I went back and left some reviews for places I've had great food or customer service at. Also, I do updates...for example, we had GREAT food/service at a resturant twice and then the third time it was terrible, so I made note of that.

Two different companies have contacted me about my reviews. One, I had said I thought conducted shady business practices and you know, they contacted me and asked me to remove my comment and told me that if I came in they would give me a free item from their menu!