FOR small businesses, where reputation is key, even a single unjustified review can have a significant impact.
A dessert shop owner located in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan has shared her frustration after receiving a low rating on Google, despite not having done any business with the reviewer.
“What did I do wrong here?
“Please respect how other businesses operate, because you do not know what they went through to get to that level,” she said in a post on Threads.
In the post, the reviewer, a local woman, was shown to have sent a message to the shop’s WhatsApp number, inquiring about their “dessert table” rates.
She then asked if the shop could prepare the food within a budget of under RM300, but was allegedly told that the shop’s rates were significantly higher.
Based on the screenshot provided in the post, the dessert shop listed the price as RM990, with an additional “setup fee” of RM180.
Upon seeing the pricing, the reviewer responded that her gym was located opposite the dessert shop. The shop owner then replied that she was welcome to try other dessert shops in the area that could cater to her budget.
The conversation ended with the reviewer saying that she would look for other options on her own.
Following the exchange, the dessert shop owner discovered that her establishment had allegedly received a one-star rating on Google from the reviewer.
Not only that, the shop owner claimed that the reviewer had asked a friend to leave a similar rating on Google, accompanied by a scathing review.
Furthermore, the “friend” who left the negative review had no prior interaction with the shop, per the claims of the business owner.
The owner’s public frustration has drawn sympathy from netizens, many of whom criticised the misuse of online review platforms and the potential harm it causes to small businesses.
Meanwhile, some users discovered that the same reviewer had allegedly left numerous one-star ratings at various other establishments.
“Google reviews are valuable. Receiving one star can really affect an establishment’s rating. Ratings are only valid if someone has actually experienced bad service or food – being offended over a response like this is too much,” one user commented.
“Sometimes, because of issues like this, I can’t really trust Google reviews anymore. Pity the seller,” remarked another.
