Would you post a bad review for a small family business?

Natt on 10/09/2014 - 22:03
Last edited 10/09/2014 - 22:03

I was just curious how others feel. I bought takeaway today from a small business and it was awful. It was the worst dish I have had in years, tasteless very poor quality and nothing like you would have expected from the picture/name.

But I feel bad about leaving a poor review as it's a small business and it might affect them. On the other hand it's not fair to warn others as they will essentially do their $'s. .

What would you do, particularly if the business was not interested in any suggestions.

Would you want to know if you were the next prospective customer?

I did review them, but it does niggle in my mind a bit.

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • botftw on 10/09/2014 - 22:10
    +1

    I'd probably not leave any review. But I definitely wont be recommending them to anyone. I might go and try it again sometime in the future however - just to see if they fixed themselves up. But I would cut them some slack.

    By the way, were there other comments on the takeaway apart from yours?

  • kwaker on 10/09/2014 - 22:11
    +2

    Its business not charity so yes its fair to leave review and its up to them to take the feedback and improve.

    If your feeling bad then you don't have to post it publically you can send a letter to them or if your brave tell them face to face exactly what you didn't like.

    I assume you don't know them personally so if you call them its not like they know who you are.

  • Natt on 10/09/2014 - 22:23

    There were 3 other reviews and one had a similar experience to mine. But I decide to give them the benefit of the doubt - not that it worked out :(

    I did not end up eating the dish, even the person gave it to said it was pretty poor. They are not hard to please.

    I did try and approach them over the phone, they seemed unreceptive. I feel it would make no difference to email them direct.

    I don't want to "name and shame" here, as I think it's too public. But hopefully someone who plans to go there might pick up on it.

    At the end of the day I guess it's just my opinion. So others can make up their own mind.

  • gevidian on 10/09/2014 - 22:54
    +2

    I think you should leave an honest review. A lot of people tend to look up reviews prior to trying a food outlet and the business could use the reviews as feedback on what they need to improve.

  • Natt on 10/09/2014 - 23:00
    +1

    I agree its important for people to be able to look at reviews prior to deciding where to eat. I have discovered some real gems that way. So I try to leave positive reviews as well. I guess since I have not had a bad experience for a while it caught me off guard.

    • kwaker on 10/09/2014 - 23:21

      I think you should leave an honest review

      well said.

      Look don't you feel guilty that they did wrong by you. Too many women feel this when they are the victims of sexual harassment, when someone does you wrong be assertive and stand up for yourself, you don't need to be over the top dramatic or exaggerate, you feel that this is wrong so say it.

      Your not being unfair by being honest, your being unfair to yourself by not, if you don't put the review your being unfair to people who might want that feedback.

      Its like not telling a child that they are doing wrong because you will hurt their feelings, but if you let them grow into an adult thinking they aren't doing wrong they will find out the hard way, its going to be worse getting in serious trouble and embarrassment.

      feedback/reviews are guidance not punishment

      • Mitchel on 15/09/2014 - 12:17
        +1

        I have no idea why this reply got negged, so I've added +1 to help.

        • kwaker on 16/09/2014 - 07:27

          Thanks JackColby.

          I assumed it was small business owners, it often happens that people who neg do so from personal experience and have no valid argument that's why they don't write any comments,

          i think the point of the forum is to discuss and debate and my opinion isn't always right to everyone and that's ok.

  • Natt on 10/09/2014 - 23:31
    +1

    Thanks kwaker that was well put and helped considerably, as too have the other comments :)

  • voteoften on 13/09/2014 - 00:17

    You told them about it. They didn't care. I hope you put that part in the review.

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