Tripadvisor Sheffield Restaurant Reviews - Bogus?

[Server]

Trip advisor seems to be infested by either scorned self righteous haters or, conversely people posting completely baffling reviews which miss the mark entirely recently. its a cheap way to vent your anger if your a touch unhappy but there are a few who give a well rounded view and to be honest the best way to beat it is pick someone whos reviews seem legitimate and just use their reviews

[Justin Smith]

I`ve done about 20 reviews for Trip Advisor, though I`m not sure how many more I`ll do, if any, because they`re so hard to get contact. In my opinion organisations who make it hard to contact them are demonstrating very little interest, even arrogance, in their customers.

 

Anyway, the secret of using Trip Advisor is to only take notice the average score. Don`t take much notice of the odd review which gives a score out of kilter with the rest.

And always take more notice of reviewers who have done a good number of reviews, and less of those who have only done a few. And be particularly wary of reviewers who have done only one......

[dhs1]

I`ve done about 20 reviews for Trip Advisor, though I`m not sure how many more I`ll do, if any, because they`re so hard to get contact. In my opinion organisations who make it hard to contact them are demonstrating very little interest, even arrogance, in their customers.

 

I have reported restaurants and hotels in wrong location but no notice taken by TA.

[alternageek]

Too easy for people to place fake reviews and boost the ratings and I beiieve it is the managers doing this or getting other people to do it who may not have eaten at the restaurants

 

The thing is, if youre smart, you can read between the lines. Relying JUST on trip advisor, especially for local eating places, is dangerous. I personally never used it to find somewhere to eat when abroad (laptops and other high value things are kept to a min when travelling) We usually ask where we are staying if they can recommend anywhere to eat or walk around until we stumble upon somewhere.

 

We've used it loads to find places to stay, based on reading more than just the 5 star reviews and the photos. Photos always tell a story.

[Ms Macbeth]

There was a TV programme about it a couple of weeks ago, and some of the people doing the reports were way OTT.

 

From the Guardian review of the pogramme: Ricky was in a league of his own, though. He drew dots on the sheets in ballpoint pen to check if the sheets had been changed. His delight when they weren't was all too obvious. "They should have known to check with me that I had flakey skin and would need the sheets changed daily," he said. Ricky's gran said he'd been bullied at school. Why am I not surprised?

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/oct/31/tv-review-top-boy

[alternageek]

There was a TV programme about it a couple of weeks ago, and some of the people doing the reports were way OTT.

 

From the Guardian review of the pogramme: Ricky was in a league of his own, though. He drew dots on the sheets in ballpoint pen to check if the sheets had been changed. His delight when they weren't was all too obvious. "They should have known to check with me that I had flakey skin and would need the sheets changed daily," he said. Ricky's gran said he'd been bullied at school. Why am I not surprised?

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/oct/31/tv-review-top-boy

I saw that. The camera person asked, "Why dont you just tell the front desk you require the sheets changing due to your medical condition?"

 

He responded with what is quoted above.

 

I think it was OTT. If I have medical requirements, I dont expect the hotel/B&B/Hostel to ask ME what my issues are. Its up to me to tell THEM. Though he was taking photos, and if you read his review along with looking at pictures, you could see he was a bit OCD about what he expects and to take that review with a grain of salt. One mans 5* is another mans 1*

[sheffbag]

There was a TV programme about it a couple of weeks ago, and some of the people doing the reports were way OTT.

 

From the Guardian review of the pogramme: Ricky was in a league of his own, though. He drew dots on the sheets in ballpoint pen to check if the sheets had been changed. His delight when they weren't was all too obvious. "They should have known to check with me that I had flakey skin and would need the sheets changed daily," he said. Ricky's gran said he'd been bullied at school. Why am I not surprised?

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/oct/31/tv-review-top-boy

 

Saw that - if i was the hotel on seeing that i would have sent him a bill for a new set of bedding linen for marking the sheets. He was clearly on a power trip but that the problem with Trip advisor, bad reviews can affect small business.

 

Thought the guy who owned the resturant was quality though when he confronted that snobby cow over the food.

[Sophal]

I no longer use TripAdvisor. Just can't trust it. I use HolidayCheck now. Not as much content as TripAdvisor but far more quality. Everything gets checked before it goes online. I'm currently writing lots of reviews of my home town Edinburgh to help it build a base in the UK cus I think it's a great alternative to TA.

 

There is no information on Sheffield yet which is why I ended up here as I'm planning to visit soon. Does someone want to fill in their favourite places? Would make me very happy. Also as you'll be the first reviewers your choice of favourite will be top till others add to it. Here's the link: http://www.holidaycheck.com/city-things_to_do_Sheffield-ch_rt-oid_12983.html

 

Thanks!

[AYBABTU]

I no longer use TripAdvisor. Just can't trust it. I use HolidayCheck now. Not as much content as TripAdvisor but far more quality. Everything gets checked before it goes online. I'm currently writing lots of reviews of my home town Edinburgh to help it build a base in the UK cus I think it's a great alternative to TA.

 

There is no information on Sheffield yet which is why I ended up here as I'm planning to visit soon. Does someone want to fill in their favourite places? Would make me very happy. Also as you'll be the first reviewers your choice of favourite will be top till others add to it. Here's the link: http://www.holidaycheck.com/city-things_to_do_Sheffield-ch_rt-oid_12983.html

 

Thanks!

 

Limited restaurant reviews at this stage though which was sort of the point of this thread...? Most of them for Edinburgh are all top rated/ 1 review (i.e. the owner has reviewed them. Perhaps given time this would improve but I would like to know how they check the reviews...?

 

As an aside , I notice S*anky Franks has now dropped way down the listings on TA (#33) to be replaced by Hong Kong Wok as Sheffields #1 restaurant...!!

[DerbyTup]

I've written over 30 reviews on TripAdvisor and I do agree that the system is open to abuse.

 

I think it's obvious that staff or friends of places like S wan ky Franks are being put up to write fake reviews. It's a pity it isn't illegal. Because it's actually fraud - that's all it is - pure deception.

 

I'd never heard of that restaurant before and then I drove past the other day and realised it was a crumby little burger joint in Woodseats. What next? Harley's bar and burgers as no.2?

 

It's a joke and it's appalling that TripAdvisor don't take notice - they are on a sticky wicket imo if they don't.

 

I'd never write ultra positive or negative reviews unless I genuinely felt it was a true reflection of my experience there. I think I've only ever given one 5 star rating to a place - because to me that means it just couldn't be better. That was recently when I visited Calabria Italian in Chesterfield - and I don't think it could be better than this - really good, different, regional Italian food. I've never given a one star either for that matter. I gave Candytown a miserable 2 stars after a recent visit - and this used to be one of my favourite places.