My wife and I visited San Diego for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Sunday morning rolled around and it was time for breakfast. We wanted to find a ‘local’ spot instead of one of the big chain restaurants. We got on our iPhones and used UrbanSpoon to help us find a spot. We zeroed in on a restaurant that had over 90 positive reviews with just a couple of negative reviews.
We proceeded to the restaurant. I can tell you that without the 90 positive reviews we never would have eaten at the place much less found it. It was just outside the high traffic touristy area and the decor left a lot to be desired. It had that grungy, been there too long, old bar feel to it.
The food however was fantastic and we had a great time there. I overheard a couple (obviously ‘locals’) that walked in behind us say “It looks like this place has been discovered”. They weren’t amused.
Without all the glowing reviews we never would have found this place. Had we not read all those positive reviews we might have been a little more close minded when we walked in and saw the decor. In fact, we may have turned and left and then missed out on a great experience.
People will often take the time to leave a negative review. I think it is even more important to leave positive reviews when you’ve been given reason to do so. Help really great businesses, especially small businesses that just don’t have the resources to get the word out through traditional advertising. I know a bike shop in Atlanta that is outside the city in a hard to find industrial area in a little hole in the wall shop. The shop is The Bicycle Doctor and owner Scott is building his business by providing exceptional service. His customers are so passionate about him that they have taken the time to post no less than 67 positive reviews on Atlanta based Kudzu.com – far more than any other bike shop. The reviews generate more business and I have no doubt that Scott’s service will continue to generate more positive reviews. In the end Scott wins, the bike community in Atlanta wins and the brands that Scott represents win.
Some sites where you can leave a review include Yelp.com, UrbanSpoon.com and Kudzu.com. You can also post a review on Google.com when you do a local search and the business pops up on the map. Just click on the ‘more info’ tab.
