A KL café calls out an unfair one-star Google review from a non-customer, sparking debate on how online ratings impact small businesses.
SUBMITTING reviews after patronising an establishment is usually done after entering and experiencing the service provided. Unfortunately, for some businesses, this is not always the case.
A local café in Kuala Lumpur recently highlighted this issue after allegedly receiving a one-star review from an individual who had not even stepped foot inside the premises.
To make matters worse, the low rating was reportedly given due to parking issues experienced by the reviewer.
“It takes 10 to 20 five-star reviews to offset a single one-star review. These reviews matter greatly to independent cafés like ours that do not have large marketing budgets,” the eatery shared in its Threads post.
Addressing the parking complaint, the café explained that parking arrangements are beyond its control, noting that such matters have been managed by other parties for “decades”.
“Be kind, rewind if you’re thinking of leaving a one-star review for a small business,” the café concluded.
In the comments section, the café added that it had responded to the review by apologising for the customer’s inconvenience and offering alternative parking suggestions.
Netizens advised the café to report the review to Google, as the reviewer was not an actual customer, while others shared similar experiences.
“We received a one-star rating just because the delivery rider was late. They should rate the rider, not the café. Don’t they realise this affects vendors?” one user said.
“People need to stop using Google Reviews as a platform to vent about things that are beyond a café’s control or based purely on personal expectations,” another commented.
“I once saw a one-star review that said, ‘I haven’t eaten there, but I probably wouldn’t like their food.’ I reported it immediately,” a user shared.
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