Yelp… ARGH! I’ve had many issues with the whole online review system. Whereas sometimes it works really great most companies have horrid business practices. And Yelp is the WORST!

Here’s the low down. Yelp uses a filter system for it’s reviews. It’s “filter” is less of a system and more of a incentive to buy. They call buisnesses that have a lot of reviews and try to sell ad space and promotions. When you don’t, they seem to filter out MOST of the buisness’ positive reviews. They say they have a system and try to filter out false reviews or reviews from people that don’t review a lot. This is NOT the case.

I’ve worked at a salon before where I had 20 good reviews filtered out and they left the one remaining one that was 1 star that even violated their said “terms” by using personal attacks and foul language. This was the only bad review I’ve ever received.  The client was horrible to me from the time she sat down. I was professional and stand by the work I did. Other clients in the salon even commented on how horrible she was. Yet since the owners of the salon ran the place from another country I was ultimately terminated because of this scathing review. (Which is a whole other story in terrible management.) This was several years ago yet that review still stands on the TOP of that buisness’ Yelp page.

I decided to write this to expose them for how horrible they are. The salon I currently work for has been in buisness for YEARS. I recently recieved a glowing review from a very satified client and again it was filtered out within 24 hours. Meanwhile on the page there are reviews from clients from years ago. The salon has a total of 139 reviews. 94 of them are filtered out. Out of the 94 filtered, 94 of them are 4 and 5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!! NONE of them are bad. Then in the non-filtered are 4 bad reviews and none of the people that the reviews are about even work there anymore!

Since the few new fantastic reviews the salon has gotten in the last few weeks that have been filtered out, Yelp has called the salon this week to ask us if we wanted to purchase as space. Everyplace gets a bad review now and then. This happens in ALL aspects of any type of service industry. But yelp highlights the flukes, hiccups and the occasional crazies for their company’s own financial gain. Every business on yelp that doesn’t give them money then suffers. This hurts small business owners that don’t have the extra income to throw at them.

In this time of economic turmoil, this practice is just deplorable. Shame on you Yelp! You are horrible people!

PLEASE RE-BLOG AND LET THE WORD GET OUT ABOUT THIS HORRIBLE COMPANY!