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Topic:
Your Thoughts, Experiences With YELP!
This thread has 16 replies. Displaying posts 1 through 15.
Post 1 made on Saturday April 5, 2014 at 20:19
Mr. Stanley
Elite Member
Joined:
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January 2006
16,954
Yelp is interesting. My son took his car toa garage that specializes in old hot rods...

I went on yelp and found this place that had about 8 reviews... all 5 star.

...So we take in his old Impala to replace two intermittant tailights. Estimated at $110.00 total.

Car was in the shop 3 days (we're still working on it). Get the call finally, she's done. My son goes there, car wont start, dead battery.

Car ALWAYS ran and started before!!!

You need a new battery kid and on and on. Put in new battery (overpriced too). Car starts up, he is halfway home on the freeway, car dies in the middle of I-5.
Son call the garage, the guy on the phone laughs at his predicament!

Car get towed back to shop (it always ran fine before) dead battery! They look at some stuff, and screw around, then they can't get the car to start!

Now they have the bill up to $1,200.00 (NOT TO MENTION A $250 TOWING BILL ON TOP OF IT ALL) And my kid almost got slammed into on the freeway! And the f*cking car wont start, and I have to pay the towing!

I tow it to another garage.

The guy at the other shop pointed out to me that all of the 5-star reviews were from friends and family of the owner of the Garage!!!





 
Yelp, Sucks!

Last edited by Mr. Stanley on April 5, 2014 20:40.
"If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger."
Frank Lloyd Wright
Post 2 made on Saturday April 5, 2014 at 20:29
Fins
Elite Member
Joined:
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June 2007
11,627
I'm in the middle of a project where the IT guy gets all of his info from Amazon reviews. When I saw him struggling to make a cable, I showed him my PlatinumTools EZ-RJPro crimper. A couple days later he came in and out of the blue goes, "I looked up that crimper you use. Yeah, it didn't get that good of reviews on Amazon". I pointed out that amazon reviews are from idiots that don't use the tool on a daily basis.

From what I've seen on Yelp, it looks like the same people that write reviews on amazon write yelp reviews.
Civil War reenactment is LARPing for people with no imagination.

Post 3 made on Saturday April 5, 2014 at 20:40
InHomeDemo
Long Time Member
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April 2010
314
I hope you posted a negative review on yelp for your son's experience. I know of a local restaurant that has all their employees leave positive reviews for the restaurant on Yelp. Do not trust Yelp at all.


I got to say that I disagree with Amazon reviews being totally bad. I have read a lot of good reviews. I can usually pick out the worthless reviews really quickly. I certainly wouldn't trust the reviews on the crimper though.
OP | Post 4 made on Saturday April 5, 2014 at 20:47
Mr. Stanley
Elite Member
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On April 5, 2014 at 20:40, InHomeDemo said...
I hope you posted a negative review on yelp for your son's experience. I know of a local restaurant that has all their employees leave positive reviews for the restaurant on Yelp. Do not trust Yelp at all.

I did Yelp them out. They also fought the charge back on my son's credit card AND THEY WON! All in all a $110.00 dollar estimate ended up close to $1,500.00 and a non running car.
"If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger."
Frank Lloyd Wright
Post 5 made on Saturday April 5, 2014 at 21:15
drewski300
Super Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2007
3,849
We had a customer who signed a proposal with a contractor to do a basement remodel. This contractor isn't the most organized contractor we work with but they've won contractor of the year for a local builders organization so they aren't a terrible contractor! This customer was so inconsistent with her behavior I think she was mentally unstable. Needless to say, she ended up suing the contractor and writing a horrific review of our electrical company along with the contractor that couldn't be further from the truth. It's our only review on Yelp and it's bad! She lied and even moved recessed cans so they wouldn't line up aesthetically. Very bad!

We simply haven't responded because this lady is bat s#$t crazy and it's not worth it because we continue working with some of the largest/best projects in the cities and all of our guys are beyond professional. So to answer your question, I do not trust Yelp! I would trust Angie's List 100X more!

Sorry Bruce! It's fully understandable that the work took A LOT LONGER tracking down a bad wiring connection. But they should have followed up after the first hour letting you know that it was taking longer than expected and it could cost more. Sorta of service 101 stuff....
"Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself!"
Post 6 made on Saturday April 5, 2014 at 23:49
roddymcg
Loyal Member
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Posts:
September 2003
6,796
I use Yelp to figure out where to eat lunch in the city at least once a week. We found someone to watch our animals while we went on a cruise from Yelp.

Obviously people can and will work the system...
When good enough is not good enough.
Post 7 made on Sunday April 6, 2014 at 00:37
Mac Burks (39)
Elite Member
Joined:
Posts:
May 2007
17,515
Best thing to do is actually read the reviews. Don't just look at the first page and don't go by the rating. Some of the reviews will be 1 star with stuff like "the company was incredible, they did a great job, the price was very low and one of their employees saved my life when i started having a heart attack at their shop. The only reason i am giving them 1 star is because they kept playing the pina colada song over and over in the waiting room"

Ignore anything thats like "they were so great i will give them all my business". This is usually BS purchased or begged reviews from family and friends. Look for reviews that talk about what they did like "they fixed my transmission in 1 day and only charged me for 1 hour because it went easier than expected".

I can totally relate with the classic car scenario. I took my car to a guy i found online when i first got it. When i drove into his shop it was a weekend and his shop had a dozen cars being worked on. There was only 1 guy there and i assumed it was because they were usually closed on the weekend. Turns out that there was only one owner/mechanic/employee and it was the same guy. He took forever. When i moved i found a place near my new house via facebook. This place is the real deal. I needed to get my car windows repaired (again). The car was ready a couple of days later. I did the whole thing over the phone while out of town. I called them up, they sent out a covered trailer to pick up my car, they fixed it, took payment over the phone and delivered the car. When the guy brought the car back there was a foot of snow in the driveway. The driver hopped out and took the shovel from my girlfriend and cleared the entire driveway for her.
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
Post 8 made on Sunday April 6, 2014 at 00:39
Mac Burks (39)
Elite Member
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17,515
On April 5, 2014 at 20:19, Mr. Stanley said...
Yelp is interesting. My son took his car toa garage that specializes in old hot rods...

I went on yelp and found this place that had about 8 reviews... all 5 star.

...So we take in his old Impala to replace two intermittant tailights. Estimated at $110.00 total.

Car was in the shop 3 days (we're still working on it). Get the call finally, she's done. My son goes there, car wont start, dead battery.

Car ALWAYS ran and started before!!!

You need a new battery kid and on and on. Put in new battery (overpriced too). Car starts up, he is halfway home on the freeway, car dies in the middle of I-5.
Son call the garage, the guy on the phone laughs at his predicament!

Car get towed back to shop (it always ran fine before) dead battery! They look at some stuff, and screw around, then they can't get the car to start!

Now they have the bill up to $1,200.00 (NOT TO MENTION A $250 TOWING BILL ON TOP OF IT ALL) And my kid almost got slammed into on the freeway! And the f*cking car wont start, and I have to pay the towing!

I tow it to another garage.

The guy at the other shop pointed out to me that all of the 5-star reviews were from friends and family of the owner of the Garage!!!

 
Yelp, Sucks!

You should go review yelp...on yelp.
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
Post 9 made on Sunday April 6, 2014 at 10:48
Robert Parker
Senior Member
Joined:
Posts:
March 2004
1,488
Yelp is nothing more than a scam. A pox on the interwebs.

[Link: arstechnica.com]
Clatto Verata... Necktie
Post 10 made on Sunday April 6, 2014 at 12:12
Trunk-Slammer -Supreme
Loyal Member
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7,454
Yelp is not the only place for the "stacked" reviews.

Angie's list can be be a real bad place for that sort of stuff. Probably the worst, since a bad review tends to get buried. Sometimes never to be seen.


I hired, and fired, a tile setter using Angie's list. Rave reviews for someone that was the most unreliable person I've ever seen in the construction business.

Work was passable at best, and I ended up doing most of the job myself.


When I leave a review for a business on Yelp, I always mention that it's "in my opinion".


Sorry to hear of your "Shady tree mechanic" experience Stanley. Lot's of that in the auto mechanic world (much like in every other business).
Post 11 made on Sunday April 6, 2014 at 12:38
ericspencer
Active Member
Joined:
Posts:
December 2011
536
If you pay for advertising on yelp they offer to "mask" to neg reviews if you have any.. Shady
Not my circus, not my monkeys
Post 12 made on Sunday April 6, 2014 at 13:06
Eastside A/V
Select Member
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Posts:
September 2006
1,782
I've had great luck with Yelp. Rule 1 is to read the reviews and look for named people within it...a company can have both good and bad employee's; ask for the positive ones named; but also realize that many people ask friends/family to review so you should still be diligent and look for red flags when first meeting.
Bryan Levy
www.eastsideav.com
Gallery: [Link: eastsideav.com]
Post 13 made on Sunday April 6, 2014 at 18:28
bcf1963
Super Member
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September 2004
2,767
I have yet to find a review site that I trust implicitly. Issues occur because:

1. Some people are dumb. They will rate a business badly for something that is clearly not the places fault. For example I was with a family member at a restaurant, and they chose an item on the menu that had an asterisk by it, and the asterisk said "spicy". I know this individual, they think PACE mild salsa is incredibly hot. I warned them, and when it came, they were unhappy because the food was too hot for them. I've also seen positive reviews where the person attributes good outcomes, to nothing the business did.

2. Some businesses game the reviews to look good. They have servers, family, friends, and will even make up accounts to post good reviews.

3. Some customers have an issue, and decide to make it their life work to exact revenge on a business. This is the corollary to #2.

4. People don't necessarily have the same expectations. For example, my father could never give any restaurant that had an average check price of over $100 not including drinks for a table of two, a good rating. He just doesn't think it is ever justified. On the other hand, I have seen him complain about the food at a restaurant, and then remark later to someone that we had a "good meal there", and his justification is that "...it was inexpensive, so I expect some issues".

Until review sites offer some way to rate the reviewers, I'm afraid that sifting through the online chaff is pretty difficult.
Post 14 made on Sunday April 6, 2014 at 18:53
3PedalMINI
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
July 2009
7,860
On April 6, 2014 at 12:12, Trunk-Slammer -Supreme said...
Yelp is not the only place for the "stacked" reviews.

Angie's list can be be a real bad place for that sort of stuff. Probably the worst, since a bad review tends to get buried. Sometimes never to be seen.

I hired, and fired, a tile setter using Angie's list. Rave reviews for someone that was the most unreliable person I've ever seen in the construction business.

Work was passable at best, and I ended up doing most of the job myself.

When I leave a review for a business on Yelp, I always mention that it's "in my opinion".

Sorry to hear of your "Shady tree mechanic" experience Stanley. Lot's of that in the auto mechanic world (much like in every other business).

Reviews absolutely do not get buried on AL. They are usually front and center and most clients will filter by f's then go back to the As (at least talking with clients that chose us based on reviews) However with the F's you can start to see the consistency of them and usually there is always a common theme with them...In my case i have 7 F's, all due to the "big deal" due to asshats not being able to read the fine print or upset that we would of charged more due to circumstances that were beyond our control..common theme, NONE OF THEM HAD THE WORK DONE. fortunately that stuff only counts 1/5th of a review with "work completed" so it doesn't hurt much. still annoying to have them though.

I have started to see a theme though with AL in the last couple months that is concerning me greatly. Basically people can get a free membership for a year with all of the advertising they are doing and coupon codes. The quality of the leads has diminished greatly to the point that I now have to really start to pre-qualify the leads that come off of there now :( much much more tire kickers then their has been before..

As of i know i cannot recommend Al anymore...My renewal is up in a few months and im thinking about cancelling it if better leads dont start to come back
The Bitterness of Poor Quality is Remembered Long after the Sweetness of Price is Forgotten! - Benjamin Franklin
Post 15 made on Sunday April 6, 2014 at 22:27
Trunk-Slammer -Supreme
Loyal Member
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Posts:
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7,454
On April 6, 2014 at 18:53, 3PedalMINI said...
Reviews absolutely do not get buried on AL.

I beg to differ.


My review of the tile idiot ended up buried among the glowing reviews by those who were simply astounded by the high quality work, the low prices, and how timely the work was done.



For me, the work was of very low quality, much of which I had to redo, the price was average, and also included an attempt to raise it substantially after the fact (a "I misquoted you" the number, so I must have more."), and then there was the absolute lack of doing anything in a timely manner, as he would show up at 10:30 am to 11:00 am (after telling me he'd be there at 8:00am), would take a hour lunch at 12:00 noon, and then leave for the day promptly at 3:00 pm.

This utter lack of professionalism cost him a solid referral to two local builders I know, as they were looking for a new guy to do their work, and the info I gave them took him out of the running.

Al to me is a total waste of good money.
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