1-star Google Review infuriates KL F&B owner: Job of a scammer trying her luck with compensation?

ONLINE consumer reviews can be a double-edged sword, especially for those in the food and beverage (F&B) industry.

A few good words accompanied by a video of long queues will spark even longer lines. A few bad reviews could also have the reverse effect, especially when they are posted anonymously and filled with malicious intent.

This is what a foodpreneur is facing. Posting on the Malaysia Entrepreneurship – Startups / SME Business, Investors, & Jobs Facebook forum, the Kuala Lumpur-based F&B outlet owner highlighted an incident where a customer purportedly fell ill after consuming spaghetti bolognaise at the poster’s outlet.

Aside from a damning one-star Google Review, the complainant also demanded compensation – not just reimbursement of the said meal and medical costs but for the full day’s missed activities!

The food business proprietor who goes by the name PG Alez said he had checked with other customers who ate the same item on the same day and all were reportedly fine. PG Alez said he even tested the said food item himself to ensure that the item was edible.

It seemed fine but the poor review was a sticking point nonetheless. This is when he reached out to the forum for feedback on how to deal with the situation.

One commenter advised PG Alez not to overly stress out as it was just one bad review so long as there are plenty of good reviews to even up the score. He also hinted that this “sounds like a scammer fishing for money”.

Another gave a step-by-step advisory on what to do in this scenario while suggesting that PG Alex should seek out expert advice if a fair recompense cannot be agreed upon.

One commenter opined that if it was a genuine case of food poisoning, the customer would not be able to come to the shop the very next day to complain as she would be “toilet-ridden”.

On the same note, he noted that no business can expect 100% positive comments. Moreover, negative comments can be attributed to business rivalries.

Another commenter said no doctor would be able to confirm which meal caused the bout of food poisoning but probably something consumed within the last 24 hours. He thus suspected that this was nothing more than a scam.

One said that such a complaint difficult to prove. However, repeated complaints with the Health Ministry (MOH) will lead to a surprise spot check.

In fact, PG Alez welcomed a spot check as it would allow him to clear the name of his eatery and for him to post the findings on social media.

Quite a few commenters asked PG Alez to just ignore the one complaint, especially if is a “he says, she says” scenario. Unless there is concrete proof, surely the F&B proprietor has nothing to hide so long as their operations meet health and safety standards.

One even offered to furbish PG Alez’s restaurant with five star reviews to counter the negative rating to which the proprietor kindly declined.

At the end of the day, social media and online reviews can be deceiving. It can be tinged with ill-intent or just simply a matter of taste.

As the adage goes, “one man’s meat is another’s poison”. – Nov 7, 2024

Editor’s Note: Below is the latest development from PG Alex that the case has come to a close with amicable solution reached between him and the diner to remove the damning one-star Google Review.

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