Employees of the online review site Yelp watch as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at the new East Coast headquarters of the tech company on October 26, 2011 in New York City.; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Crowdsourced review sites like Yelp, Angie’s List and TripAdvisor have had a sizable impact on businesses. They give consumers a new means to hold companies accountable and more than ever before, these reviews have the power to make or break a business.
A recent lawsuit filed in Virginia illustrates just how important these consumer-written reviews have become. A dog training business in Virginia has filed recently a lawsuit against a consumer who posted a negative review on Yelp and Angie’s List for defamation.
Do you think this small business in question has a case? If you are a small business owner, how have you handled negative reviews given by customers?
Guests:
Chris Morran, Senior Editor at The Consumerist, consumer affairs blog owned by Consumer Media LLC, a subsidiary of Consumer Reports. He’s been reporting on crowdsourced review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisors for the past five years.