Pacific Standard Mag reports that a recent study indicates that online restaurant reviews are likely to be influenced by the weather on the day a review-writing patron visits the restaurant.
So just like Goldilocks, if it’s too hot or too cold outside, you may find yourself writing that the restaurant isn’t just right.
3 More Things That May Unfairly Influence Online Restaurant Reviews
1. If you really are a Goldilocks-style reviewer, is the restaurant frequented by bears? In fairness, bears can ruin an otherwise perfect dining experience, especially if the restaurant has a rainforest theme, and the bears start attacking animatronic rival wild animals. But that’s still not a fair reason to complain about slow service, especially if the waitstaff is playing dead to make the bears go away.
2. Continuing on the Goldilocks theme, is there ever a time it’s necessary to write online reviews of restaurant porridge? This is something you can make yourself in the microwave or by pouring boiling water over it, so if it’s too hot or cold, maybe you should just make the instant stuff at home and adjust the temperature in the microwave until it is perfect.
3. Whether or not you are denied admission to the establishment. According to the Toronto Star, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was warned by security at the Air Canada Centre last night after being “belligerent” after being denied admission into the stadium’s Director’s Lounge during a Toronto Maple Leaf game. Remember, restauranteurs, barkeeps, and lounge-keeps, not admitting a potential patron could equal a bad review, yet admitting potential bear patrons could lead to bad reviews from other patrons. Which is why it is probably best to admit patrons who are not too belligerent, and also not too the-opposite-of-belligerent (because those people might right lame reviews of your restaurant.)
