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TripAdvisor: the whole truth and nothing but the truth

November 15, 2011 | Online Marketing

According to this article, TripAdvisor is not being used in the way it was intended, but has instead become a place to scrutinise travel experiences and say things you wouldn’t dare to say to the persons’ face.

The result is detrimental. A vent of anger about water having been left in the kettle, or the curtains not blocking out enough light, when read by a fellow Trip Advisor user can deter themfrom visiting that accommodation. Consumers are demanding a luxury package, but at B&B prices, and they’re not afraid to announce it to the world when these demands aren’t matched. This seems a little unfair on the business owner.

Trip Advisor is full of vicious remarks and personal attacks directed at business owners. Is this actually just a new form of bullying? Furthermore, who’s responsible? Trip Advisor for providing the platform and allowing these posts? Or the reviewer themselves who argues that the business owner is irrelevant when they write the review as it’s not about friendship; it’s about business.

Business owners are bearing the brunt of our online moaning. Once we post something on social media there’s no going back. It may not even be factually true, it may even be written by a competitor as an unlawful dig.

Get the full story at Econsultancy

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