If you say the word"Yelp" to anyone in the service industry, chances are they'll have some strong — and likely negative — thoughts on the review site. Servers and bartenders, in particular, get the brunt of the backlash when guests opt to leave feedback via the internet rather than speaking up in person.
A review can have harsh consequences for an employee, often with little to no chance for the worker to offer feedback."I had been disgruntled about all these Yelp reviews and how our job sadly revolves around them," Bolte-Woods adds."You can get fired over a Yelp review, and that's not fair."And so the three set out to review Yelp reviews, breaking them down with industry insights.
A recent HalfShot dives into the issue of cleanliness on both sides of the bar. In another, the trio discusses the art of cutting off someone who's had a few too many. One of those recurring topics is the public's attitude toward restaurant and bar workers."COVID made everybody shut down, and when people started coming back, you had a lot of people saying, 'I appreciate you so much. Thank you. We're so grateful you're open,'" Kaplan recalls."And that was very short-lived. And then it's almost like the entitlement, the rudeness and the lack of understanding came back with a vengeance.