The power of reviews

Everyone can be a reviewer these days. Post online or through social media a thought, a word of praise – or criticism – about an experience while dining out, and it becomes a widely read and heeded review.

The professionals on both sides of the table know how any review, professional or amateur, can impact a restaurant’s business. But in today’s digital world, which empowers everyone, not all reviewers are professionals. And some are just scammers.

This summer at a popular Newport restaurant, a patron, after finishing her meal, informed management that she was a reviewer for the social media review site whose name begins with the letter “Y.” She stated that the service and food which she just finished had been unsatisfactory and unless her check was “comped,” she would write a negative review.

She furnished a business card which upon investigation proved to be fraudulent. The restaurant manager, not wishing to cause a scene on a busy night in the peak season, gave in to pressure and did not charge her. When the story and cellphone photo of the perpetrator reached local bloggers and social media, other restaurateurs came forward to say they had been taken in by this same individual.

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Professional restaurant reviewers at the highest levels (The New York Times, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, etc.) operate under fairly uniform guidelines. The reviewer pays for his or her own meal on an expense account as opposed to a company credit card to preserve anonymity. It is considered unethical for a critic to ask for consideration on the bill.

Most “A-List” reviewers would make terrible spies. They can’t control themselves on their visits from asking too many questions about the food, the chef, ingredient sourcing or from overordering numerous dishes to sample or evaluate. The servers or host staff usually catch on that a review is in progress.

In a confidence game such as the bogus review gambit, the scam only works if the scammer can create a position of strength from knowledge or perception he or she creates. Awareness is important too. Savvy management and personnel with a knowledge of general reviewer policies can stop the deception in its tracks.

A second issue is playing out in Boston restaurants and food trucks. Since our state’s legislators often imitate what happens in Massachusetts, this could be the shape of things to come. Boston restaurateurs may soon be asked to display a letter grade following city inspections for cleanliness and food safety. The large letter “A,” “B” or “C” would by law be posted at the front door for customers to see. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced the plan in a statement which read, “Boston’s restaurants play a strong role in fueling our local economy, and it is our job to ensure these establishments are adhering to all required codes to protect Boston’s residents and visitors.”

The impact on business could be dramatic. After all, who wants to patronize a restaurant that received a “B” grade? Even if such a system came into this state, it would be unwieldy at best, as the handful of restaurant inspectors also certify schools, hospitals, hotels, caterers and even prisons.

But some local restaurateurs say the effect might not be so severe, as they are more concerned with the effects of a bad social media review. The ubiquity of cellphones and the influence of review sites beats one letter on the wall. •

Bruce Newbury’s Dining Out radio show is heard on 1540 WADK-AM, wadk.com and the TuneIn mobile application. He can be reached by email at bruce@brucenewbury.com.

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