

Company sells ID cards to reviewers to get them better service at restaurants - chriscampbell
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20130122,0,2390332,full.column

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sp332
I don't like the interviewer or the interviewee. _"I took out my card and
asked if I could pay 200 euros," Newman said. "In return, I would write a
great review on TripAdvisor. The woman at the hotel immediately said yes. It
was a win-win for both of us."_ This contradicts his own statement later: _"If
the hotel is close to the train station or has a comfy bed, that's why it's
getting a good review."_

That said, threatening to write a bad review is hardly extortion. And anyone
can do it, so it's not like the preferential treatment is limited to only a
few people who can write reviews online.

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endianswap
To me this idea seems like a double-edged blade: if you go in expecting better
service via flashing your ReviewerCard, you're probably more likely to notice
any minor problems or be frustrated at smaller signs of the waitstaff
"neglecting" you.

"I showed her my _ReviewerCard_ and it still took her 30 seconds to refill my
Coke?!"

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mariuolo
It defeats the point of a review. It's an almost sure way not to have the same
service as other customers, so what's the point in reading it?

