together information about him from Facebook and then took him to court. The result was £6,000 in compensation plus £1,545 costs. While prompting a small cheer from many other businesses who have been victims of trolls, the case is also a great step forward for fairness. Honest criticism should be generally welcome and offer any business the chance to improve. In fact, how else would they know someone had an unhappy experience rather than just voting with their feet? Malicious criticism, however, is totally unacceptable. It can ruin reputations and discourage potential customers and, obviously, that can be the motivation of some posters.
Rushing into online reviews can be unfair – and dangerous! BUSINESSES can live or die by online reviews these days so rushing to TripAdvisor to record your opinion always needs careful consideration. Unfortunately, not everyone is so thoughtful - or honest - in this and the damage to venues in the hospitality industry in particular can be huge.
Going onto TripAdvisor and other sites is commonplace for many of us these days. We want to share our experiences with others, to praise those that deserve it and alert the public to potentially negative experiences. Although everyone is entitled to their opinion, there is a pressing need for balance.
Steve Hoddy, the owner of Blackpool restaurant The Bispham Kitchen had enough after one TripAdvisor poster made a series of derogatory online statements about his venue.
If you go somewhere that makes Fawlty Towers look like a Michelin starred establishment, it’s reasonable to say what went wrong. Equally, if you get exceptional service, delicious food and a welcoming atmosphere, it’s right to share this, too.
The false and malicious reviews – including claims like “the owner stares at you weirdly” and that customers had been made ill – prompted him to turn detective and track down his troll.
Anyone who has been in business knows that dealing with the public means constantly treading a fine line. So it’s completely wrong to hurl unfounded anonymous criticism out into the ether.
Unhappily for this particular individual, Mr Hoddy has two law degrees and admirable determination. Over three years, he pieced
And, as this troll found, it can also come back to bite you in the rear.
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