Knowing nothing of Yelp a month ago, I looked them up after a co-worker mentioned a bad review.
In looking at reviews of highly respected local companies, this is what I found:
- If you have only good reviews on Yelp you're doing extemely well or you're writing your own.
- An average rating on Yelp is equal to an outstanding rating on any other review site.
- Yelpies actually congratulate each other for writing the most bad reviews, and award points for the meanest snide commentary.
Yelp is used mostly in larger cities by twenty-somethings that think they're part of the trendy - hip crowd, and are almost always people wanting a $100 meal for $5. (Complaining that the upmarket furniture store near their rented condo was a one-star establishment because "I could get stuff that looks the same at IKEA for a lot less")
Unlike review sites where someone with an axe to grind might try to ruin your reputation, the majority of people that post on Yelp are sarcastic complainers.
Be just as happy if Yelp has no listing for you.
