Manchester has a one-star review problem (original) (raw)

Ahead of a rainy weekend in Manchester, many across the region will have been faced with a question: Where to go for a meal - perhaps somewhere new or that place they scrolled past on TikTok recently?

Some will have opened up their phone to type in that restaurant a friend recommended. And then, once the webpage loads, it is likely they will all have been presented with the same thing.

Along the right hand side of the results page, the name of the venue appears along with a little star rating.

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It used to be the case that arriving for dinner was a venue's first chance to make a good impression. Today, that chance lies elsewhere - online.

Whether that's the condensed section on Google, which lists the latest reviews, a TripAdvisor write-up or even a short clip on social media with someone's quick take of the dining experience, it all has an impact.

Last November, one restaurant made a stand. Its response to a customer complaint caused a stir online after its owners decided to call the reviewer out.

Riverbank coffee shop and café had been left a one-star rating on Tripadvisor, which prompted a defiant response on social media.

The customer declared the coffee "awful" and the service "even worse" after taking a disliking to the decaf Americano they ordered, and claimed that when they asked to swap it to a flat white, the venue said they would have to pay for a second drink.

However, the coffee shop, which operates from a converted shipping container between Urmston and Sale on the banks of the River Mersey said it was a completely different coffee order and argued the customer was complaining and "slating" a small business simply because they didn't get their own way.

"Our staff work incredibly hard and when we get something wrong, we offer to put it right; which is why you were offered a fresh Americano which is what you ordered," they wrote online. "But you declined, had a strop and left in a huff then turned into a keyboard warrior."

Problem was, in spite of the row, the review was still online for all to see.

Opened in June 2020, Riverbank was the long-term dream of Brian and Jackie Kilcourse, the couple who own the farm on which the coffee shops stands. They decided to join forces with friends Dane and Jennifer Smith, who despite working long hours in the emergency services at the time, were keen to help bring it to life.

Having built up a loyal and supportive following since it was established, the team found that when they stood up to the one-star review, they had many customers fighting their corner.

"Some people would do anything for a freebie," one chimed in at the time.

But they add that negative, disproportionate reviews do have a real, human impact. Another one-star rating from six months ago, which appeared on Google, simply stated: "Place was ok, overpriced for average drinks."

"One of the issues is if they are not detailed enough. If it’s negative, and there's no context or detail, how do people expect us to get better?" says Dane Smith. "If things were too expensive, I want to ask 'when did you visit, what did you have, what did you find expensive?'

"If they tell us at the time, and we have a conversation, then maybe we can explain the costs.

"But instead they go away, because they've not got what they wanted and then go on these platforms and it's a sort of 'I'll show you' response.

"People are entitled to leave a review but most of the time we look at it and we read it and think 'that's not the way that happened'.

"On the opposite side, we have another café, someone complained over email so I picked up the phone and put it right and they didn't go and leave a negative review - that's the way it should be done, it shouldn't be about tarnishing small businesses."

Reviews \have always played a big part in the success of a hospitality business, and are readily welcomed by those in the trade. But the rise of the one-star review has become a gnawing issue for restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars.

Of course, the review could be correct, or reflect that person's experience, but as many of Greater Manchester businesses are finding out, sometimes hot takes are not entirely fair. Sometimes they may even be fake - and the impact shouldn't be understated.

Many may be less than a sentence in length and lack any detail or explanation, but businesses told the Manchester Evening News they're incredibly difficult to get removed off of social media.

"We find out it’s almost impossible to get google reviews removed," adds Dane. "We decided we’re just not going to remove it, instead we reply and ask for constructive feedback. We always leave and email but no one contacts us back, which shows they just want to try and damage the business.

"When you look at the business online you can see we have like 600 reviews, mostly 4-5 stars, and the number of one or two stars is very low. 95% of the time we get it right, and if we do get it wrong, we want to put it right, but these types of reviews don't give us the opportunity."

After being contacted by the M.E.N., TripAdvisor said one-star ratings represent just seven per cent of reviews across the site - and added that its users usually read at least nine reviews before booking.

Google also pointed out they will only act to remove reviews if they violate content policies or local laws, and not simply because a business dislikes them.

Reflecting on the review where someone didn't get the coffee they wanted and Riverbank issued a message back, Dane and Jennie said a lot of regulars got on board.

"A lot of our customers know us and the staff, and how we operate so when they see those reviews they'll say 'that didn’t happen'. They'll rally together and leave a positive review.

"Reviews are really important and it allows us to capture new customers. There was a snowboarding influencer who wasn't from the area, and they came across us from and their review was brilliant. It's also really nice for staff when they're mentioned in a positive way."

It's a view shared by Millie Walter, who co-owns Buzzy Bee Bakery with her sister Lydia. They opened their flagship bakery in Wilmslow several years ago, and in September 2024 took on a prime spot in the Northern Quarter.

In May, the business received a one-star review on Google, which simply read: "It's expensive".

Millie, not content with simply letting it slide posted a video on social media breaking down just how much ingredients costs to make their brownies, brookies and cakes.

"One bag of dark chocolate is £133, which means one chip is 2p, one tub of Biscoff £18.16, one bag of icing sugar is £6.47, dark brown sugar which is essential is £29.40, caster sugar is £25, one block of butter is £1.80 and we use 140 blocks a day, this bag of cocoa powder is £88, which is extortionate.

"Staff and National Insurance is £40,000 a month, rent and service charge is £10,000. So yes we might be on the more expensive scale but I'd rather be called expensive than really cheap, you can tell when you eat our cookies that everything is good quality, handmade and I wouldn't want it any other way.

"In this day and age it's really hard running a business so we appreciate if you don't leave one-star reviews without explanation."

Speaking to the M.E.N. Millie said there's another way to go about it.

"If you have a complaint you should message us first, and then if we don’t respond or you just don’t like the response, then that’s fine.

“It brought our whole rating really down. Something as stupid as ‘so expensive’ with no details or context, it was so stupidly short and then pulled the whole rating down.

“Reviews are good to have, because I will read the reviews, especially for holidays for example, and they are important tools to get the truth. But I just think they should be monitored or sent to the business first before it goes onto the Google page.

“It’s near impossible to get them removed. You can apparently pay people to get rid of them but I obviously wouldn’t do that.

“You can’t even track that they’ve bought something, it could be fake for all we know. It should be monitored better and it’s unfair."

Like Riverbank, Millie's customers backed her and jumped into the comments to show their support.

“I had people coming talking about it after I posted on Instagram. I didn’t think people would be so complimentary, but you need social media, we wouldn’t have the business without it, you also get comments on social media but a lot of the time, people come to your aid."

Someone who tries to find the funny side of these reviews is Dan Place, co-owner of beloved grilled cheese mecca, Northern Soul in the Northern Quarter. He and partner Lissie have been running the show for over a decade now and are used to weathering the good and the bad - but some reviews take the biscuit.

During their recent closure for a refurb, one reviewer left them a one-star review simply because the venue was closed.

"A one-star or negative review when it's unjust and we're closed," he trails off almost exhaling in absolute exhaustion and disbelief. "No one in the right minds would review somewhere that's not open, but they just don't think hospitality matters.

"And generally here, the team here is so tightly aligned so we'll know who left the review and we make notes so we know if something actually happened or not.

"There has to be tolerance for us though, we can't get everything right and the reviews can really hurt. When something hasn't been right, we'll fix it. But honestly, some reviews are just laughable though, and we'll just leave them because anyone who reads them just knows that they're daft.

"Our rating is 4.8/4.9, and we're really proud of that, it show consistency over the last 11 years."

Alongside its city centre venue, the restaurant also operates as a pop-up at various different markets and events throughout the year, including a stall outside the Etihad Stadium during Manchester City FC’s football season. On one occasion back in 2024, they received a bad review for the price of water - which they don't set the price for.

The reviewer posted: “Northern Soul grilled cheese seems to think it's acceptable to charge £3 for bottles of still water outside the Etihad stadium.”

Sharing a screenshot of the review, Dan took to Instagram to share their frustration of the message. In response, they replied: “You have posted this review out of nowhere 3 months after the football season ended and at 11pm.

"I just wonder how bored you must be for that thought to come into your head and then go to the effort of logging on [and] writing this BS review??”

In a further attempt to clarify the cost of a bottle of water, the owners added: “FYI, we don’t set the drink prices at City (it’s not ever our stock, we have to sell their drinks as part of the deal, they’re the same all through the stadium)!!!

“Do you realise how damaging one star reviews are for a small business? Really, this **** just makes u feel like giving up. ENJOY YOUR TAP WATER. City also have free water filling on site! Such BS.”

"I don't think people realise how bad a place has to be to actually warrant a one-star review," adds Dan. "It can't just be because something wasn't quick enough or there was a small issue.

"If it was constructive criticism, saying I did send an email and wasn’t responded to, thanks for the information, we’ll improve that.

"If there was a problem we don’t go overboard, but we’ll say come for one on us. But say they’ve ordered chicken and beef turned up they would expect the whole bill - it’s a cancel culture thing. If they complain to delivery platforms like Deliveroo, they cancel the whole bill - those platforms don’t lose out.

"People want it free of charge, but hospitality can’t absorb that cost. There is no business in the world that is expected upon like hospitality is. No one else expected to perform seven days a week, 12 hours a day.

"The reviews do hit hard. I do take it personally because I know all the team so well and they're lovely. On time, one of the nicest girls you could ever meet and the customer ripped them to pieces.

"As it happened, on that occasion, they removed the one-star review. When you go back and say ‘get real’ and say what the damage is to the business they then get it."

A Google spokesperson said: "As part of our work to provide trustworthy information on Google Maps, we remove reviews if they violate our content policies or local laws—not simply because a business dislikes them. Reviewers get notified if their contributions are removed and have the option to appeal that decision."

A spokesperson for TripAdvisor told the M.E.N.: "We believe that every traveller has the right to share their experiences - good and bad - to help others make informed decisions when planning their next trip. One-bubble reviews on Tripadvisor represent just seven per cent of reviews across the site and we know that on average users read nine reviews before deciding to book. With more than one billion reviews and opinions on Tripadvisor, this volume of guidance minimises the impact of any one single review on a business.

“All businesses listed on Tripadvisor have the right to challenge reviews that they believe are inaccurate or misleading. Our Trust & Safety team reviews each and every disputed review and will make appropriate updates if they are found to violate our guidelines.

“We strongly encourage business owners to respond to reviews to share their point of view. A thoughtful management response changes the narrative. In fact, 65% of Tripadvisor users say seeing a business respond to a bad review actually makes them more likely to book with them."