Yelp

12/4/2014 Updated review

Yelp Can't Be Trusted: Try One Of These Alternatives Now

makeuseof.com/tag/yelp-c…

1/27/2015

Love how business owners can pay yelp to remove certain listings. I have worked with several companies who use yelp and pay for advertising and have the ability to manipulate the listings. Yelp is slowly losing creditably with lots of people. But hey i guess they made their money right....?

I have used yelp to rate business that i use and have had my review removed for no reason.

I will no longer use yelp and will make sure any business i use informs  all customers the scam they are running.

1/27/2015

Yelp is terrible- - they are profit driven (which isn't a bad thing) but when that stands before neutrality, truth and ethics, then it is a bad thing..

10/14/2014

why would anyone hate on yelp???
                     Yelp is the go to for all kinds of reviews.  On Yelp you can even get really
great deals, invites to cool parties, and even win things.

Yelp hooked me up at the San Carlos art and wine festival recently.
This restaurant Botto has tried to get at yelp because they were being silly and upset about something so they gave discounts to people giving zero stars.
The restaurant is terrible tho I've been there so they deserve the zero stars they should be giving yelp props instead of hating.

If anything like most restaurants and places on yelp they profit off yelp.

Yelp is a G and has always been there for me.

Yelp keeps me informed on all sorts of things.

Yelp is hip and always in tune.

People like to complain but I can't say anything bad.

Much respect and props due, you can search a business on google and
poof the trustable yelp review usually comes up.

9/20/2014

REVIEW #200!!

I save the 200th just for you Yelp. *winks*

Yelp, if you didn't exist, my taste buds would have been very exhausted from all the franchise restaurants I keep going to. You opened my eyes to new eats and new places I never even heard of. You keep me on my toes of what's the best and worst in town. You created a common interest for Brian and I when we barely have anything in common. Yelp, you are what makes my world go round when I have a bad day. By reading a few of my fellow Yelper's reviews, I find myself rolling on the floor laughing like a hysterical toddler.

I really like the Elite program implemented into Yelp. It unites people together who shares the same love for food and opens my eyes to new things I didn't realize were in the bay area. I also love the other Yelpers I've made friends with because they're always "checking-in" to places that could be on my potential bookmark list!

On the other hand, there are a few suggestions with the Yelp app that can be improved:

1. Sharing videos of businesses:  Adding videos about the businesses on the app is a fantastic start! However, it would be better if the video sharing layout is a little similar to the Instagram format. Tape a few seconds here, add another few seconds there, and review it again to see if it flows smoothly. Also, it would be better to record your own "12 second" video at your own time and upload it like a regular photo without worrying about the app crashing down.

2. ROTD's: It would be nice to have an archive of ROTD's implemented on the app, but I'm not sure if that's going to take up a lot of space...

3. Lists: I like to organize a lot of my reviews by list, and it would be nice if that was also implemented into the app.

That's all I have to add for now, but again, thank you Jeremy S., Russel S., and Geoff D. for starting this awesome social media site! Also, thank you to the rest of the Yelp staff and fellow Yelpers for making Yelp a fun social media platform. I would choose YOU over Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter any day!

9/25/2014

200 reviews!  It seems like only yesterday (actually, it was 3 weeks ago) that I was writing my 150th about stuff I've seen on BART (it was epic, go on, you know you want to read it), and so it seems fitting that number 200 ought to be about Yelp itself.

Turns out I joined Yelp some years ago, but never did any reviews.  I joined again in March 2012 and did 2 whole reviews.  It wasn't until 3 months ago, on a trip to Portland, and learning that Amy Z had an obscene number of reviews, I became motivated, so that's an average of more than 1 a day.

Yelp for me at first was a way to connect with her (and definitely still is), but as time went on, it became more.  Because I'm vegan, and don't do too badly with the written word (ahem), it became a way to rapidly express myself to fellow vegans and beer drinkers, who I've relied on so much on Yelp to find places to go.

Now, in general, despite what you might think, being vegan is easy - in fact, it's liberating (but that's a whole other discussion).  Except when you're eating out in unfamiliar places.  To understand what it's like to be vegan and go to a resturant, imagine that you belong to a minority, but growing religion:

- People have heard of you, but don't always get you.  
- People don't understand that although there are different types of vegans, it really does mean no animal products.  And yes, fish is an animal. And no, that dairy-free creamer still contains animal products.
- People sometimes laugh at you, or give you strange looks.
- Sometimes there's a special menu.
- Sometimes people make a big deal out of it, when you'd just wish they'd let you be.
- You get confused with other, less justified, dietary restrictions such as gluten free.

Maybe that comparison didn't work so well, but you get the idea.  Anyway, I avidly read other vegan reviews, and the people I ask to be my friends on Yelp are usuaily writing such.

Yes, my reviews have branched out over time, but I do try to mention beer and veganism if at all possible - for example at pet places (read my Nitro Dog review).

As for Yelp itself, yes, I totally yet it.  I'm being used.  They've mastered their corner of the market, and they've made it into a game with checkins, badges, dukedoms and all the Elite freebies.  And why not?  Yes, I'm a slave to the game, but it *is* fun - all I'm sure, as it was designed to be.  Well done Yelp, you got me.  

I'm well aware that Yelp itself, and Elite reviewers like myself have a huge influence on businesses.  I've more than a couple of businesses contact me to try and make amends after I've left mediorce reviews (mostly, they just don't get it) and more than a few thank yous for great reviews.   I don't mind (that much) that Yelp is allowed to manipulate reviews as it sees fit (I suspect it probably doesn't in the way that some people have claimed), this is what happens when a business becomes big and successful - their influence on the market is significant.  But it's also become a leveller, with the general populace (if they're literate, anyway), able to control a businesses' fortunes.  As it should be.

My worst Yelp experience?  Getting turned down for an apartment because I questioned an apartment manager over the 3 bad reviews she had here.  I'm glad in the end I didn't get the place, but it goes to show.  

And finally, what of ROTD? Well, I'm still hoping.  I've written a few gems; maybe someone will notice.  I'll keep trying.

12/20/2014 Updated review

It is sooooooooo cool to be part of Yelp, part of something that has grown so that we get mentioned in movies even.  How freaking cool is that!  Not only do we help others with our reviews but we help each other.

12/3/2014 Updated review

Update: Try this experiment to see how the irrelevant the Yelp content guidelines are: There is a review on here by "Violy M." and if you look, every other word is a 4 letter word (PS this is not to attack Violy M. this is just to prove a point) Yelp says in their content guidelines under inappropriate content, "lewdness" is not allowed.

Lewdness definition: "obscene or indecent" according to dictionary.com
It seems pretty lewd to me if you ask so why is it not removed? Funny how the content guidelines are not applicable here.

Furthermore, Yelp is allowing a criminal, YES criminal, to rant and post about business. (For proof just look it up criminal records are public). This same criminal is also soliciting multiple yelpers to post reviews on behalf of her saying:

"Just a Note 11/25/2014
Photo of Heather O.
Elite '14
414 friends
209 reviews
Heather O.
Please go repost this review on their page yelp.com/biz they created a new page to hide these negative reviews :)"
yelp.com/user_details?us…

9/24/2014

Why do business owner's hate on Yelp?  People will get upset and put 1 star reviews, even if it wasn't worthwhile of it.  Maybe recommending to put Yelp reviews up, as the more people put reviews up, the more realistic the business is represented.

Yelp is a great resource for people that are trying to find a new business (mostly food, from my perspective) to go to.  I would never try a new restaurant without at least looking at Yelp.  Do I care if it is 5 star?  Sometimes/maybe, but not really - I like to look through the reviews and see what many people think about things.  There's always people that over-hype a place, or people that say something is terrible, even if it is great.  I hate some 4-5 star restaurants, but love some 2-3 star ones.

12/1/2014 Updated review

Revised !  Alert ! The rules YELP HOLDS OTHER BUSINESS OWNER TO APPARENTLY ARE NOT PRACTICED AT YELP!! if you are a business owner you are expected not to have employee rate your business!  I found it very strange that a large number of "check-ins" were on YELP.    Especially when I couldn't post a "check- in".  I began to send messages to just a portion of these people writing " check- in".  I asked one question only ,  anyone want to take a guess what I asked?

I asked if the person worked for Yelp?
ONLY A FEW HAVE RESPONDED  but all of those have confirmed they work for YELP!
Why is this important ?  Because Yelp claims to be non bias, but does harm decent businesses. They state guidelines but fails to practice them. They claim they have specialist software that isn't bias but refuses to disclose who created the software.  They have their own agenda and it has nothing to do with being non bias! That is why it is important to have disclosure.

believe every check in listed for yelp are employees!  I have tried to complete check in but never posts I have never seen so many check in posted on business unless by employees. Stacking the deck maybe?? ? Non bias? ?? Yeah right!

At least I write reviews to try to bring truth as I see it to hard working employees, local business, & educational facilities!  What matters is ethics.

3/29/2014

I had no idea one website or one app could completely change my life (for the better!) but Yelp did! Thank you for singlehandedly changing my previously mundane life around!

I have only been a Yelper for about 7 months now (but a lurker for years!) and I have already met so many great friends and great people in my own community that I probably would have never met if it wasn't for Yelp!

Yelp has given me a purpose and got me out of the house!

There was a time not too many moons ago that I HATED going out to eat. I would dread going out to dinner because every place we went was a chain restaurant with the same boring blah food. But then I found Yelp! And I found all these amazing local restaurants in my own community that are freakin amazing and that I had no idea existed.

Yelp helps me help and support my own city and the surrounding cities by dining out at local restaurants, spending money at local businesses and attending local events. This in turn only makes my community even more awesome by putting money right back into our own little economy. Yay!

My only regret is that I didn't start Yelping sooner but I can only get over that by going out as much as I can now!

After I became Elite I also got to experience the amazing events and parties that Yelp and our CM treats us to just for being our own Yelper selves! By going to these events, I have met even more new people and tasted even more great food that I might have never tried before.

Thank you Yelp!

Almost 200 reviews and over 400 pictures down, here's to 1000 more! (Is there a support group for this?!) :D

Helpful suggestions? Please make an events page on the mobile app. And change the "nearby" button when I'm at home, I know what's here! And add messages, all the compliment options and the feature to search for people to the app!

• 

  My first YEE!

  My first YEE!

8/25/2014

I think they're onto me. Business owners can sense that I'm yelping. I wonder what gave me away? Was it the pictures and the check-in? How about me concentrating intently on my YELP mobile app? Maybe, yelping produces an odor that I'm not aware of? Whatever it is, nowadays they all realize the power of YELP as a resource for consumer behavior.

I never asked the Jedi Council for Elite status. All I wanted to do was write real reviews and check out new places. Personally, it's better than therapy. To be able to get your candid thoughts out there. More or less, we as human beings want to be heard. But, some of you make it out to be this special society and it really isn't. Yes, most of us started because we're foodies and all the private events, movies, and gifts are really swell. But, if that's all it takes to feel almighty, then you just don't get it.

Each and every review has the potential to make or break an establishment. One has to realize the strength of their own words and experiences. A recent Harvard business school study found that even a one star rating increase for a business on YELP translates to a sales increase of up to 9 percent. Being present now in over 27 countries, with over 61 million user reviews - YELP's culture changes things.

Remember, quality trumps quantity. Reviews should be fresh, honest, and fair. For me, I have fun and like every other interest in my life, I try my absolute best. Isn't the quality of your work, a true reflection of you? Above all, are the users like you that provide a genuine sense of community. In the past two years, I've met some sincere and wonderful individuals, ones I consider my dear friends. To those who've accepted me kindly - thank you.

YELP celebrated its 10th anniversary this month. Some of you traveled far and wide to San Francisco - back to ground zero. What other cult like following does that? I don't see any other social networking site produce the resources to pull off something so extravagant. That ultimately shows the obvious influence that YELP has on people and its culture. So next time, YELP with authority, but more importantly, YELP with responsibility.

• 

  Logo.

  Logo.
• 

  Yelp.

  Yelp.

12/9/2014

I love Yelp - have trusted it for years when making choices on various vendors. But am  truly confused tonight by "recommended" versus "not recommended" review posts...as decided by Yelp. Is this new? If you're going to filter reviews based on some questionable algorithm, then don't bury hundreds of legitimate reviews at the bottom of my screen under a microscopic link called "not recommended." Many people will miss this link for starters, and sure won't be watching the video that's apparently needed to clarify the process.

Give me all the reviews on each vendor. Let ME filter which ones I want to read. I'm seriously questioning the legitimacy of Yelp's service after seeing this practice in action.

1/28/2015

Love the Yelp site. Use it several times a week. And my reviews are pretty popular.

But boy did Matthew Parsons blow it! I told him about a business listing that was hijacked by a disgruntled ex employee and he said Yelp couldn't fix it. And Matthew, you didn't have to be such a jerk on the phone

12/12/2014

Worst Customer Experience Ever! They make it impossible to have any form of conversation. They must hire there employees based on how rude they speak with clients, and clearly only care about sales, this is a prime example of how a company is bigger than its customer!

Update: Since this review yelp has filtered my business reviews to only show the negative review, the review that was filtered has been there for over 2 years and then all the sudden poof, filtered, now Imagine that!

1/24/2015

My wife and I own a restaurant and we received a negative review - That's fine, I don't mind negative reviews if it has merit and truths applied to it.

The reviewers name is EMIR H from Jamaica NY and he entered our restaurant completely drunk along with his obtuse wife demanding to be sat on a Saturday (MLK weekend) with no reservation - We explained to him that all the seats were filled and that we were sold out for the rest of the evening,  including the bar - Because he didn't get his way and the fact that he was already swimming in booze, it became obvious that we needed him to leave because he was becoming belligerent - Tables surrounding the hostess stand were looking at us trying to deal with these people and it was obvious that it was becoming uncomfortable for them - Finally, after a few rounds of politely (as much as I could muster) asking them to leave, they left - I have a feeling the phone in my hand and me telling him that i was going to call the cops had something to do with it

I contacted yelp and explained what happened and asked them to remove the review.  Again, I want to state that I don't mind negative reviews, it's part of life and you move on.  This wasn't a review though; this was the ranting of a drunk arsehole who goes out of his way to hurt people when he doesn't get his way.  

We actually sat there after he left saying A. Did he not get the message about calling the restaurant before he arrived on one of the busiest weekends of the year for a reservation? DUH!!! And B. How much you want to bet we're waking up to a negative review somewhere.

Yelp wrote back today and said that after reviewing things that they would not remove the review.  

It baffles me how Yelp is so set in the mind frame of not protecting the very people who they solicit for money and unless you start sending them money they'll keep irresponsible reviews up as negotiating pawns - It's very simple and juvenile - You buy something from us and we'll move things around in your favor

I'm not looking for any favors and I don't want to play with your toys - I'm looking for Yelp to act responsible but that 's about as likely as the Yankees winning the super bowl - In other words, it comes down to pure extortion

So, to the kind and I'm sure reasonable people of Yelp, please act responsible and remove this nonsense review - The morals & teachings being sent down from upper management are wrong and you should know better and act better

And to all of our present and future customers, please understand, we don't mind you having a drink or two before arriving at our home away from home and we will try to accommodate whatever reasonable request you have but acting the bad mean drunk is something we will not.

We love you all the same but stupid drunk manners make others uncomfortable and really are just plain annoying at the end of the day.  Do everyone a favor and just stay home and sleep it off.  I promise you, you'll wake up feeling much better, albeit it may take a day or two.

Sincerely,

Mark R
Co-owner PLATE

11/25/2014

Yelp Account Manager are not at all responsive, I am not sure if it with my Account Manager in general or it is across all yelp Account Manager.

This is about making a change to Call To Action. I emailed last Sunday about the change to be made, called them Tuesday, again emailed them Tuesday, Again called and emailed at least 4 times. Finally they make a change on this Monday after full 8 days, that too not complete. Asked them immediately to call email me but to no avail.

2/26/2014

On September 24, 2011, I used one of two Groupons to visit a restaurant I had never patronized before. Our meal there turned out to be an awful experience. Two weeks later, I went back to the same place to use the second Groupon, and the experience was even worse than the first. The next day, I opened my Yelp account to rant about the horrendous service.

yelp.com/biz/whistle-sto…

That started my life as a Yelper.  That was 899 reviews and 11,000+ photos ago.

For my 900th review (Sorry Melissa), I'm writing about Yelp, and trying to explain why I've enjoyed the many hours I've spent here and why I've found a home here.

I edit two industry newsletters and I've always enjoyed writing.

Having inspected and handled thousands of insurance claims since the days when Jimmy Carter was President, I think it's safe to say that I've taken more than my share of photos. I've always enjoyed photography.

I've always enjoyed eating out and trying new restaurants and different ethnic cuisines, although it took a long time to try Indian food.

I've always enjoyed history (that was my major) and I love visiting historical sites and reading markers and looking at monuments and memorials.

By some weird stroke of karma, all of these things came together (as if predestined to do so) under the Yelp umbrella for me. Yelp combined everything for me.

I had no idea what the Elite thing was, so when I was invited in I was kind of nervous. Would it be cliquey? Would the people be snobby and unfriendly? My first Elite event was at Burton's Restaurant in South Windsor in May 2012, and any apprehension I had about being accepted disappeared the moment I walked in.

Everyone I met, let me repeat that, every single person I met, was friendly and welcoming.  Emily, the Hartford Community Manager, was a pleasure to meet. Now, after seeing her at so many Yelp events, and watching her on TV during the occasional Yelp interview (by the way- she is fabulous on TV!)  I consider her a friend.

And she's just one of the Yelpers I've grown friendly with. It's such a kick to run into Yelpers at places like Isaac's Convenience store in Bloomfield, or at Fresh Market in Avon, or at the dog park in Simsbury.

Do I enjoy the Yelp Elite events? I sure do. I've visited some places I otherwise wouldn't have visited. I've had some good chow and drinks and laughs. I've met some very cool people, like the Yelper who was also an artist and after chatting with her I attended her art show and bought 2 of her paintings all because of Yelp !

People are attracted to Yelp for different reasons. I like to stay away from the politics, the filter controversy, and drama and such. I stick with my strengths - photographing and writing about cool things and cool places.

So thanks Yelp, for giving me an outlet to do what I enjoy doing, and meeting some sweet folks along the way.

• 

  Deck of Yelp playing cards

  Deck of Yelp playing cards
• 

  Yelp mason jar mug!

  Yelp mason jar mug!
• 

  Yelp Mad Libs

  Yelp Mad Libs
• See all photos from Dan R. for Yelp

11/23/2014 Updated review

Eventually, my company agreed to do Yelp advertising.  In some ways it seems really great. They will come out and shoot a video of your business and that gets put on your Yelp page.

On the other hand, while they sell the product on the premise that other competing companies will not be advertised on your Yelp profile, if you do a Yelp search for the name of our business and the city it will display other competitors in different cities well before listing ours.  What is the point of paying hundreds of dollars if you cannot even get your reviews delivered to a person who is specifically looking for you?

There was no impact in the filtering of all positive reviews after we signed up for Yelp advertising.  We continue to have many positive reviews from genuine customers that are "not recommended."

In sum, while I appreciate the enhanced presence on Yelp created by the video, I feel that this company's business model is based around fraudulent promises and unfair business practices.  Don't waste your money on this company.

1/21/2015 Updated review

I don't have all the answers. Often, I'm not even really sure of the question.  For instance, I'll often find myself in the middle of a crowded shopping center, and I'll realize I'm not wearing pants. Life is tricky sometimes. I don't bathe much. Of one thing however, I am certain, I shall serve no reviews before their time. Now is that time. I can taste your hurt, I know you know I know that you didn't get your 2015 Elite badge, and I'm here to talk you off that ledge. Or perhaps you're just going through some sort of transitional phase in life, like I am, having climbed Mount Everest, and made your way back down, you're wondering if you're the weak, the shepherd, or the tyranny of evil men. At any rate, this review is for you. Because 2Pac cares, if don't nobody else care. So lend me your eyes, I'll write you a story.

I was once all about this. Cranking out the reviews like a ferret on a Red Bull IV drip, Tipping, Complimenting, Hosting Events, I even had the President himself come out and shoot pool. Okay, I uploaded his photo to the event page, but that should have counted for something. Then it all changed... A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I'm talking like south Irvine, I was accused of writing a review to a place I had never patronized. My accuser was someone that has long since moved on to the greener pastures of editing the Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine or something. Me being the upstanding person that I am, provided the information necessary to clear my good name, but it just really soured me on it all when everything was said and done and it made me also wonder how many others are alienated by strategies employed here, does it really benefit the model in the end to ostracize 90% of the account holders on this site to the benefit of the other 10% percent? Do they actually make up for all of the reviews that the 90% aren't writing? I'm not claiming to be some brilliant business strategist, I'm hardly living the dream, but it just doesn't seem right to me if the goal here is to maximize the value of Yelp to its shareholders.

Uh, wait... Where was I? Oh yeah, back to me. So I'm continually playing back in my mind the insinuation of me being a writer of fake reviews, and the wheels start turning. And turning. This hurts. I mean it really, really hurts. To be falsely accused. I spiraled outward, fell off of the wagon, I stopped using paragraph breaks and punctuation intentionally, an initial walk on the wild side to thumb my nose at the establishment, then I quit writing reviews altogether before I settled in to an abyss of deep despair. We are talking fetal position under the kitchen table on the linoleum floor with a bottle of cheap scotch variety. I begin talking to random folks of my trials and tribulations, at bus stations mostly, but could not find any drug similar to the Yelp experience. The bus stations only worked until the restraining orders started rolling in. What to do? I have to prove to the world my extensive knowledge of overpriced gastropub burgers and fine craft beers, and how this in essence makes me an infinitely better person than them, and it must also be in a forum where I could share food photos that I have uploaded by the thousands, but where could such a forum like Yelp be found? It doesn't exist. Then it came to me: Open mikes, spoken word and the like. Pure genius. People will listen to me talk about the most mundane of subjects and will consider it no less than some form of art. And this was simply wonderful while it lasted, I was an up and coming player on the spoken word circuit when one night at the Ha-Ha Hole on Pico it hit me: I am just a product. I'm being packaged and sold and shipped around to entertain the masses. I felt stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us. As you could probably imagine this made me feel dirty, so dirty, and I couldn't wash the dirty away, not even with one of those exfoliating towels that take excess skin off. And I cried, cried, cried. As a last resort, I turned to hard drugs, mostly powdered donuts, and while it didn't fill the emptiness inside me, it certainly helped, if only for a little while. Flash forward to the tail end of a month long bender in Las Vegas with Charlie Sheen and me looking into a bathroom mirror with the good donut powder all over my mug just like Pacino in Scarface, and it was here is that it hit me, only then did it hit me: It's the Internet. It doesn't define us or make us any less or any more of a person. Everyone. Even you reading this. We are all special. Yelp still loves us, even if it doesn't want us as a sunbeam Elite. I then wondered: Whose room is this? And why am I wearing this black cocktail dress and blonde wig? Maybe I should turn this record over.

Soundtrack: The Gaslamp Anthem - "45"
vimeo.com/43136555

1/19/2015

I am a small business owner and was "sold" on the idea of advertising on Yelp.
The sales person called me relentlessly and being a new business, I thought why not.
These days, I have no idea where he is. I signed up for ads and never heard from him again.  I was assigned an account manager.  It took him more than a week to get in touch with me.  As i said, i am new business and every dollar counts. I really needed someone to hold my hand through the beginning process.  
When the AM finally got in touch with me , I was frantic.  They locked all the fields on my business account and changed the phone number.  Apparently they assign you a telephone number in order to track calls to the business.  Someone should have mentioned that beforehand.   He also told me that it takes him 24-48 hours to respond to emails/phone calls.  As a former salesperson, I have never heard of such a thing.
In my former corporate sales position, we worked weekends(at least checking emails for emergencies) and responded to clients as quickly as possible. It was nearly a week before  I heard back from the AM again.  
I have been advertising on Yelp for 3 months and I have had just as many account managers.  You can't call in for any kind of help. The phone number is buried deep into their website. Good luck finding it. When i finally did find the phone number, it is answered by a switch board which then passes your message onto your AM.
My AM was listed but that was not actually my person.
Once again I was looking for an account manager because they changed the name of my business and then locked the fields on me again!  imagine a company taking such liberties with your corporate identity.  I have been trying to cancel my ads for over a week now.

Personally I use yelp all the time. I love it for restaurants and finding local businesses.  As a small business owner, I am very disappointed and rather put off by their lack of customer service and what feels like shadiness. Believe me , the billed on time every month.

1/24/2015 Updated review

Still not listening at Yelp......the filtered reviews are by star...Unfair as 1 star reviews show first.  at least do it by date..Try to be fair to our long suffering businesses

11/29/2014 Updated review

With apologies to Taylor Swift for what I'm about to do to her latest hit: Shake it Off

Lookin' for a pub, want one I'm gonna love
Well that's what people say mmm, that's what people say mm
So I tell them go to yelp, because the reviews can really help
At least that's what I say mmm, yeah that is what I say mmm

Reading reviews is the best, so you can know what to test
want to eat what's got zest and avoid what's gonna be a mess

'Cause the yelpers gonna write, write, write, write, write
And we all read the site, site, site, site, site, site
And then we're all all right, right, right, right, right
Write a yelp, Write a yelp

=================================

Oh Yelp me!  I can't believe it's been another year!  This Thanksgiving season, I'm grateful to Yelp for:
***New places: I've been spending a lot of time down south and need all the right places to go.  Without Yelp I would never have found the best sushi joint, an organic shabu-shabu place, the most fun wine deli, my fave tap room and more!
***New friends: I add a new friend for every review and this year so far, I've added 69 new friends for which I read their reviews, they read mine and if we're lucky, we get to meet up at an event!
***Yelptastic Events: This was a big anniversary year for Yelp and I am grateful for not only getting to see Yelp headquarters but getting to hang out with all my yelpmigos at some truly amazing venues.  I also got to check out some community events, like walking with the Make a Wish Yelp group in Orange County...so fun!  And I loved seeing the renovated Park Theater for a special showing of Chef and who could forget the playing bocce ball at a Tee Party!

I am thankful to Yelp for being a vehicle where I can read REAL OPINIONS by my fellow community members and share what I think with them.  I've said it a 1000 times, but I'll say it again, in this world of marketing tricks and crazy advertising, it's so hard to know who to trust, and it's amazing that we can turn to yelp to see what our  trusted yelp friends think of things.  Thanks again Yelp!

11/19/2014

Working with many companies I have posted good reviews and found that yelp is holding them back from being posted. how does this help businesses?

I feel badly for the businesses that have great reviews people post and Yelp is removing or never posting them so they can come in and make a profit.

not using this as a review site again

2/9/2014

************** Review #500 **************

I've had Yelp bookmarked to review for the past couple of years now, but I just never thought the time was right.  Well, I feel the time is finally right, so why not make it my 500th review?!  I'm actually glad I waited to write the review because as time passes I appreciate Yelp and what it has to offer more and more.

First, I'd like to tell my little story about how I discovered Yelp and what has now become an addiction for me.  Remember when iPhones were a relatively new thing and apps were a new thing too?  Yea... way back then in the stone age!  I was watching television and an iPhone commercial came on and I happened to notice an app icon I was not familiar with, so I paused the television and there it was in all it's red glory...  the Yelp Icon!  I immediately downloaded the app, and well folks, that is history.

When I first started Yelping, we lived in Orlando and Colleen, the CM, took notice of me pretty quickly.  Before I knew it, I was writing reviews like mad, was going to UYE's, and had made Elite by the end of my very first Yelpie month.  I just became more and more addicted!  I loved all of our Elite Events and all my new Yeeps so much!  Then we moved to Jacksonville.....

I kept my Elite Status, but Jacksonville was not an Elite city at the time.  Lucky for me, just 6 shorts months later, Jax became an Elite city and we had our very first Elite Event here!  Since that time, Jacksonville has gotten very Yelpie.  We have the best CM, Allie A...  I just can't sing her praises enough!  And we have the best Yelp Elite Crew there is!  I can't tell you how much I look forward to all the YEE's, CMYE's, and UYE's so I can get together with these wonderful, amazing people!

The Yelp Community is like a second family to me.  I've got all the wonderful Yeeps here in Jax and I've also got wonderful Yeeps throughout the US and even throughout the world!  The past few months were pretty rough for me and my family.  I had to have rotator cuff surgery the first part of December and two days before Christmas, my husband's sister passed away very unexpectedly.  I received so many messages wishing me well for my surgery and a speedy recovery and even more messages giving me sympathy and prayers for the loss of my sister-in-law.  This outpouring of love really touched me more than words can possible describe.  It felt like the entire Yelp Community from all around the globe was reaching out and giving me one great big hug!

Yes, I use Yelp for all the same reasons everyone else does.  I want to find a new restaurant, store, etc. it's Yelp to the rescue.  I need a phone number to a business, I pull up Yelp, to heck with Google.  I need directions to a business, Yelp gets me there.  And of course there's all the reviews I write, the quick tips, the photos, the compliments, and laughing and carrying on conversations on the talk threads.  But Yelp truly does mean so much more to me than that....  it's the people... the Community.... that's what truly makes Yelp great!

So, until I see you Yeeps in person....  SYOY....  I'll definitely keep right on Yelping happily along!

• 

  Yay! Yelp Elite Beach Towels!!

  Yay! Yelp Elite Beach Towels!!
• 

  Yay! Yelp Elite Beach Towel!

  Yay! Yelp Elite Beach Towel!

11/21/2014

Yelp is a scam.  Our business is getting slammed by people that brought Groupons and we refused service to during booking.  They allow people who we flat out refused to deal with post reviews.  They allow personal attacks as well.

During negotiations with them our filtered results changed dramatically.  When we did not advertise they changed again.  When we complained to Yelp directly they filtered even more five star results.  Of course all this is simply our OPINION as we are entitled to one.

If you refuse service to someone it is for a reason.  Our Business will boycott Yelp and do everything we can to promote Google reviews.  They at least require a name.

DO NOT PLAY THEIR GAME IF YOU OWN A BUSINESS.  DO NOT ADVERTISE WITH THESE PEOPLE.

11/16/2014

Yelp.com is pure GARBAGE!!!! This company screws businesses.

All of our good and real reviews are filtered out (not recommended in yelp term). What a bad business plan to screw over companies.

We were called to sign up for advertising over 2 years ago with promises to keep our good reviews (real reviews from their active users) but they keep taken our reviews out.

What kind of company is this that they have only 2 1/2 stars them selves??

AGAIN PURE GARBAGE!!!!!!

1/21/2015 Updated review

Lawyers suing Yelp - please note!  We've got them RED HANDED changing and manipulating their "secret and unchangeable" algorithm.  The information which I have is available for you to consider in your lawsuits against Yelp.  

In November I did an investigation into Yelp and I found that Yelp's rating on Yelp itself was a measly 2.2 (on a scale which goes from 1 to 5 since the lowest number of stars which can be given is 1).  I wrote Yelp an email and pointed out at that time that the algorithm sucked and that the overwhelming opinion of Yelp by users of Yelp was that Yelp sucked too.  As I advised Yelp, according to the people using Yelp, Yelp only had a 2.2 rating. Fast forward to today, January 21, 2015.  Today I computed Yelp's rating of itself and it is now 2.57 - almost 2.6.  It is simply not possible that the rating of this company by its reviewers has gone up that much in 3 months in light of the facts that:  (1) about 7,000 reviews are being considered, (2) almost all of those reviews were posted over a period of several years prior to November 2014 and (3) most of the recent ratings of Yelp by its users have been very poor (1 star).  The patently obvious explanation is that the algorithm itself has been changed - as least for Yelp itself.  It was changed by Yelp to improve Yelp's rating on Yelp itself.  Talk about the worst kind of unfair manipulation of its rating algorithm.  They tell businesses that they can't even ask for favorable reviews from actual customers and that they (Yelp's employees) have no control over the way that the algorithm works - and yet they change the algorithm to specifically improve their own rating.  Yelp's manipulation of the algorithm to benefit itself is a breach of their claims about the algorithm, a breach of their representation that the algorithm is fair and impartial, and a clear violation of the users' expectations on the site, etc.

Another area of examination also provides similar misrepresentations and unfair conduct on the part of Yelp  Yelp claims that businesses cannot pay for favorable reviews.  But Yelp bolsters the rating of Yelp on Yelp itself by having Yelp Elites included in the computation of Yelp's reviews of itself. Yelp Elites get direct and significant gifts from Yelp, including food, parties, clothing, accessories, toys and so forth. Yelp includes the reviews of these compensated individuals in its reviews of itself.  Not surprisingly, this improves Yelp's star rating of itself. With the Elites included at the current time Yelp's star rating is 2.57.  With the omission of the Elites the star rating drops to 2.34.  This number is never given to the public and it took a lot of research and computation to estimate it.  So Yelp is manipulating its dismal approval rating by paying Elites who write reviews of Yelp and then including them in Yelp's rating of Yelp.  This conduct directly violates Yelp's rules about reviews.

Bill L.

11/15/2014

Check it out Yelp HQ
My 100th review.

I own a photo studio / art gallery which was listed as a business here on Yelp. Trouble is, it's not open to the public. When I notified Yelp HQ about this they agreed! Then provided this idiotic solution:

Hi Dan,

This is Pam at Yelp HQ. We're writing because Crystal forwarded your concern about your listing to us. We wanted to let you know that after careful evaluation, it has been determined that Studio 730 is not really a local business, so it will no longer appear in search results. Hopefully this satisfies your concerns.

Regards,
Pam
Yelp User Support
San Francisco, California

In honour of this I've written y'all a limerick:

The trouble with Yelp
Is that it's no help
To businesses like mine
There's no way in hell
That I'd ever sell
Studio space online.

But my business is here
Though it's abundantly clear
It's not open to you and your friends
HQ has insisted
That it remain listed
And refuses to make amends

So Pamela said
"What we'll do instead"
Because we're so clever and wise
"Your studio's hidden
Access forbidden"
And called it a compromise

"There it's fixed" she said
As I shook my head
And questioned her mental fitness  
"But again I repeat
you can't be Elite
Because you own a business"

So tell me HQ
Yelp's a business too
Owned by Jeremy S
He seems a nice guy
But explain to me why
You haven't removed his eliteness

So if you're self employed
Do not be annoyed
HQ will fix this mess
Don't argue, accept it
Elite status rejected
Unless you're Jeremy S

2/11/2015

Provide you with no way to dispute anything. Made a cps report backed complaint against a daycare that was taken down. I sincerely hope your taking down of multiple parents voicing their concerns of the care of their children doesn't result in someone else's child getting hurt. Shame on you, Yelp, for taking sides with a business owner before EVER contacting the person complaining to see if it's real or not. It is one sided and there is zero investigation done.

8/15/2014

As a business owner, I agreed to sign up for a Yelp advertising plan. I had an excellent experience signing up, but as soon as I needed to cancel my contract early, I have had the worst customer experience with Yelp Business Advertising than I have ever had since opening my business in 2006.

The lack of communication and follow-up from account managers at Yelp business advertising is something that I would NOT expect from a business that size. I am constantly being referred to another department which is the "correct department" to deal with. When I talk to a representative there, they inform me that they are not able to help me and they refer me back to the department that just referred me to them. I find it difficult for me to take Yelp Business Advertising seriously at this point. They still have not canceled my plan despite being warned that it would automatically be canceled after non payment.

That being said, I find highly ironic that I have had such an abysmal experience from Yelp advertising, given the nature of of service that they provide by providing reviews on customer experience.

I just talked to another business owner today, and he is having a difficulty reaching his account manager. He is still advertising with Yelp, but hearing that feedback firsthand from him only confirms to me that Yelp Business Advertising is having a serious difficulty as a service provider.

2/2/2015

Yelp... I checked in at Starbucks and then went to homedepot. Literally a minute away. Tried to check in... you told me easy tiger. How long do I have to wait? And...why do you have to wait 4 hours to check in to the same business? I'm at payless market like 6 times a day... but you wouldn't know that because I can't check in!  You should fix this.

11/14/2014 Updated review

I'm posting yet again and am unable to improve my rating as I have yet another reason to be unhappy with this company.  There is, apparently, a very good reason to flag reviews as inappropriate on Yelp, and that is rudeness and personal attacks.  So, our business received a review that would normally be suppressed by their so called algorithm given that the reviewer has no other reviews on Yelp.  

But to make matters worse, the reviewer took the opportunity to be rude and make a personal attack - calling one of our employees a 'Douchebag'.  When I flagged the review as definite example of rudeness and personal attack I received a reply telling me that they didn't agree and the review was fine.  So it is now fine by Yelp's standards to call people a 'Douchebag'.  I'm disgusted by this - and it shows just how unethical this company is.  Its a shame, as there are plenty of genuine reviews out there, good and bad, many of which are suppressed by that famous algorithm, but when offered an opportunity to actually intervene with a review that is rude and distasteful, they turn a blind eye.

11/15/2014 Updated review

INSTALLLENT FOUR:

NOTICE: IF YOU ARE READING THIS VIA YOUR MOBILE DEVICE APP, YOU WILL NEED TO ACCESS YELP'S FULL WEBSITE TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW. THIS IS ONLY ONE INSTALLMENT.

2014-11-15: This installment might get me in trouble; you can see I've been sittin' on this one for awhile:

As of this writing (6-22-2013), there are 4605 reviews of Yelp itself; ALMOST HALF ARE ONE-STAR REVIEWS. Some folks aren't very happy with Yelp. Seems to be a mix of Yelpers who feel their reviews were filtered / deleted unfairly, Business Owners feeling discriminated against for not "participating", & maybe even a few former Yelp Employees, thrown in for good measure. As Kathie Lee Gifford says (HATE her, btw): "Everybody has a story". I like the OTHER saying better: "Opinions are like..." (You know the rest...)  ;)

ISSUE ONE: Discriminatory treatment by Yelp, of Business Owners in a negative manner, for those not "participating" in Yelp monetarily.

ISSUE TWO: Also, possible PAYMENT of reviewers, to influence them to write positive / negative reviews, according to Yelp's "will".

In other industries, this has historically been referred to as "PAYOLA". BIG scandal in the recording / broadcasting industries back in '50's & '60s; Congressional Hearings and everything. Even the sacred Dick Clark got his "dick" caught in the door, so to speak (God, I just kill myself sometimes), though NOBODY ever mentions that. He only was spared because he cooperated, and fingered other people in the Industry (aka: SNITCH). Fellow DJ Alan Freed DIDN'T cooperate, and got "blackballed" as a result. Check it out for yourself.

This issue should have probably been higher on my priority list. The accusation, if true (and I say "IF"), would affect MY perception of Yelp's overall CREDIBILITY, and if you're an independent-thinking sort of person, should affect yours too. I'm not in a position to verify this either way, but if you do a "sort" of Reviews of Yelp ITSELF (aka, THIS page, lowest to highest), you will see a number of postings from various "disgruntled" individuals who claim this IS true. Doesn't appear any of the "disgruntled" are Postal Workers, so I think we're relatively safe.

There are also some reviewers of the "One-Star" persuasion who claim that Yelp PAYS some "Elite" members (also referred to as "freelancers"), to influence them to write reviews according to the "will" of Yelp.

I'm NOT one of these folks who are trying to rack up "Friends" like points in a basketball game; some Yelpers seem to be doing just that. Currently, I have a very modest total of 17 Friends; of those, nine are "Elites".

Actually, YOU folks (my Elite Friends) will be among the first to read this, so you'll have the first opportunity to RESPOND to this claim. Personally, I LIKE the folks I've encountered within the Yelp Community, and want to believe the BEST about them, and about Yelp in general. So I would need a REASON to start believing otherwise.

I'm NOT an Elite Yelper, and NEVER will be. It's not that I wouldn't like to be; it's just that Yelp has certain "rules and regulations" governing "what it takes" to become of such lofty stature, and I choose not to conform to at least ONE of those guidelines. Sadly, I just don't have "the right stuff". So, there will never be a Brass Ring for larrythediner; then again, I'm not trying to grab it in the first place. I'm happy as a CLAM to be right where I am: warm, buried, under the sea, and relatively under the radar. At least, until NOW.

If the aforementioned practices ARE occurring, not only is this highly UNSEEMLY & UNETHICAL on the part of Yelp, it could even be considered ILLEGAL, especially if a monetary "tribute" results in preferential treatment.

ONE LAST TIME: Since I myself am not in a position to determine this, I'd ask ANYONE reading this who IS in a position to investigate (or KNOWS someone who is) to look into this matter. And please present some FACTS, not just emotional arguments. JUST THE COLD, HARD FACTS, MA'AM.

And if THIS installment or any others get "Filtered", well, that would tell ya something, wouldn't it? I WON'T be taking this Review down of my OWN VOLITION, so if it "disappears", you'll KNOW why.

When I first started Yelping, almost two years ago, I never imagined I'd be writing stuff of such a serious nature; I prefer "funny". But I want to be able to trust that what I'm reading at Yelp's site has not been influenced by them; I can do my OWN filtering of idiot-critics. I know I try to be objective in all MY reviews, even when I may have my own opinion about a business. In fact, the more I may dislike a business' practices, the MORE I just try to present the FACTS as they are, and let YOU, THE READER draw your own conclusions. Nobody's gonna buy my "vote", as it were, and until proven wrong, I wanna believe my little circle of Yelp Friends are of the same ilk.

I'm CERTAIN the next Installment will be on a lighter note?

Yep, I can see that it will...

larrythedine

11/24/2014

Dear Yelp, thank you for letting "local A" have a soap box to stand on. Now he's able to spread his hate speech, terrorizing local business with his cruel language. Don't believe me? Check him out for yourself.  yelp.com/user_details?us…

I'm not sure how letting someone like this continue to post such salacious reviews is helpful or good for anyone? Maybe you can enlighten me...

11/6/2014 Updated review

I didn't realize until now the actual extent of negativie experiences surrounding YELP, A wave of users have experienced the flawed system. One of the pimple faced punk kids at YELP should read this ....

YELP you have a 2 star rating, so in an essence any business scoring more than 2 stars outshines your morbid complexion substantially. Your advice is to make a private or public statement to negative reviewers yet you decide to assume the fetal position whilst being degraded & humiliated. I'm proud of you , your taking it like the wet tea bag you are. The sheer Hypocrisy in what you advise businesses , to how you handle your own credibility .... Do you see whats going on here ???

Sort it Out YELP , Fix your Algorithm because right now its set on Stupid .... Give businesses a balanced review and stop flagging genuine reviews and allowing fabricated reviews on business sites .... it's not rocket science .... and your algorithm is dated and not working efficiently ....

The Irony if your own site is responsible for your downfall will sadly be hilarious , you will be missed , like a bad case of the flu .....

Also we made sure to liquidate any stock we held in YELP and invest in Septic Tanks , They're full of less Sh*t than your company... Just Saying

Seriously Fix it , tens of thousands of people cannot be wrong in what they are saying about you

11/9/2014

I saw Vincent D. had reviewed Yelp so here I am. Then I noticed half my Yelp peeps had done so as well. Where have I been?

Yelp started for me in 2009. I wrote some reviews in no more than a half ass way. Totally crappy. I think I may have written five or so and didn't think much about it. Did I mention they sucked? At times I want to go back and correct all the errors on these initial reviews, add some more details, etc. Then I think to myself and realize that this is where it all started, so I will keep them that way.

A couple of summers ago, I came across a review of a local restaurant and remembered that I had an account. I logged into Yelp after going through the motions of trying to remember all log in info. The first thing I noticed was that the Triad NC had just created a community and hired our manager Holly B. I sent her a message asking about her job and other questions and she informed me about elite status. I remember her response to me and how I really didn't give a damn about it all. For whatever reason, I kept at it. I don't know why. Maybe because I like to write. Maybe I had a good experience somewhere. I don't know. Holly and I still joke to this day about how much I didn't give a damn about our initial conversation.  It is comical. I hope I wasn't mean to her.

Fast forward to today. The ridiculous amount of people I have met all over the country is insane. Whoda thought all of this? I am not sure what I think about destiny, things happen for a reason, or any other life cliche that people use to describe why or how things happen. Nonetheless, life has happened.  If someone asked  if I thought there is a reason that I have met all these people, I would have a hard time saying no. I would like to think that *I* am this reason,  but Yelp provided a platform for this.

Interestingly,  I don't do much,  if any, social media. Despite popular belief, I don't do Facebook. I will never understand why people think I do. I have never seen Twitter, Instagram,  Snapchat, or whatever social media is the "thing" now. But Yelp has stuck with me for whatever reason. Maybe it is the writing part. Maybe it is the ridiculous talk threads that make me laugh at work and make my students wonder what the hell I am up to. Maybe it is the events. Maybe it is just fun. I caught the bug. I am infected with check ins, reviews, photos, talk threads (when I have time), and all the ridiculousness that comes with going somewhere and Yelping while others think I am crazy. Getting me to cave to a social media platform doesn't make sense. I am  convinced someone has a voodoo doll somewhere and they are coercing me in some way...but in a cool kind of way.

Oh Yelp. I check into every place. I keep getting those annoying updates when people respond to a check in. I take pictures of random shit before anyone can do anything. I *find* things to review.  I can't wait to make smart ass comments on talk threads. You got me and you got me good. I can't believe I was seduced by you. I am now on the dark side, or good side,  or whatever side of the force you are on. Yelp, you win, and I am happy you did. Look at me now.

Yelp: Another review, event, check in,  talk thread, and person met. Each one of these is an entry in a journal that continues to write itself.

10/10/2014 Updated review

Almost at review #300, and it is time for my update on Yelp itself.

Yelp is the baron(ess) of restaurant and retail online content. Nobody else comes close. Also, their mobile apps have gone from being awful out the gate to among the most elegant, accurate, and functional apps on iOS and Android. Remember when the entire Orlando Business geolocation layer was skewed from the real map by over a mile and you could check in at Cindarella's castle from the Lego store in Downtown Disney?They grow up so fast! #tear

Orlando is blessed with the absolute best community managers, starting with Colleen and then Andi. They project a sincere desire to build a sense of community in a city that was struggling to find its social and cultural identity a decade ago.

On the corporate level, Yelp should play nicer with Google. And Google should play nicer with Yelp. It's not nice when you push other kids and take their toys, Google. Some would even say it is evil. And yes, perhaps Yelp could find better ways to share. There, you've both been spoken to. Now make up and go play. Kids.

You need Yelp, Google, because your content stinks. Not even Marissa Mayer could save it. It's because you're smart, but you have corporate ADHD and don't see projects through to their completion. Also, Steve Jobs was punking you from his death bed when he convinced Larry to go all in on Google+ and the expense of other projects and all good reason.

You need Google, Yelp, because their search is good and powerful, and nobody uses Bing with a serious expectation of finding what they are searching for. Admit it. You don't either. Even your BFF Siri hates being seen in public with awkward Bing results.

The secret to Yelp's success: Good people. Keep hiring them. Keep keeping them. Great job, and thank you for making my town better.

11/13/2014

Because Marvin isn't replying my emails. I will make this PUBLIC cause I am Furious of being accused of  this : (On November 11 2014 i get an email from Yelp/Marvin saying ....)

"I'm contacting you from the Yelp User Support Team because we've received complaints from the community that you may be offering incentives in exchange for reviews. "

"If you are offering incentives in exchange for reviews, we ask that you immediately discontinue such activity. If we learn that this type of behavior has continued, we may take action on your Business Account which could include suspending access to your listing. It may also result in a Consumer Alert being placed on your listing: officialblog.yelp.com/20…

Regards,
Marvin
Yelp Support
San Francisco, California"

This Upsets me a lot. Why? Because I am being accused of something I or my new SMALL BUSINESS HAVEN'T DONE. I ASKED FOR A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF WHAT MADE THEM THINK THAT I AM BRIBING PEOPLE FOR GOOD REVIEWS, THIS IS BS. IM SORRY BUT I NEED A RESPONSE ASAP, IM NOT GETTING ANTYTHING BACK IM UPSET. WHY ARE YOU PEOPLE ACCUSE ME WITHOUT PROOF? I NEED TO KNOW WHO DECIDED TO LIE ABOUT SUCH THING, CAUSE THAT " complaints from the community" SH*T DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT. NOW I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION BECAUS I AM A VERY HONEST PERSON AND WORK HARD FOR MY CLIENTS AND GOOD REVIEWS.

NEED THIS FIXED ASAP. THANKS.

8/21/2014

It's kind of ironic that yelp has such a low rating on the totem pole.  But then again, it is kind of a love-hate relationship.  You love it when all goes well, you hate it when it affects your pocket.  Just read a few of those hate reviews and seems that they mostly come from business owners who think it's really all yelps fault on why they have low reviews.  I have been using Yelp for well over a year and have found it helpful to find new places.  Do I think twice about going to a place with all 1 and 2 star reviews?  Yes I do, but it also depends on what those reviews say.  I can always disregard a review for poor service and if someone had a particular issue, but when most reviewers complain about cleanliness issues, my red flag activates.  

On the flip side is finding places that I never would have tried if it hadn't been for Yelp.  

Aside from that, this is my 200th review and I couldn't think of a more apropos place to review than here.   I am in the travel industry so I have used Trip Advisor, urbanspoon, foursquare and several others.  I had been a lurker on Yelp and then began to use it more and more.  What Yelp offers that the others don't is a community leader.  Introducing Brett, community manager who began sending encouraging emails and compliments.  Compliments for reviewing food?  Holy Cow!  I'm always up for a compliment for sharing words with anyone who wants to read them.  

Then I got to attend my first Yelp event, the Yelptucky Derby.  What?  Free drinks and food and meeting friendly people who share this passion?  Oh hell yeah!  Yes, it does become a bit addictive, but most fun things in life do.   People I never met wanting to become my friend just because they liked my reviews?  Well who can't use an ego boost these days?  Not to mention it has made me want to quit going to the same old food sources and expand my horizons.

Is Yelp peferct?  No, it is not, why can't I see ROTD on my phone?  How do some reviews mysteriously disappear?  But what relationship is perfect?  Yelp still gets a big 5 star for all the good things you have given me.  You welcomed me into elite status..Woo-hoo!  More inventive events to attend!  More new faces to meet and greet.  What's not to love about Yelp with all it's imperfections.  We have the best Community Manager who always manages to outdo his creativeness on finding new and fun places to attend.  

I look forward to my continued relationship with all things yelp, it's not just about the freebies we are fortunate enough to be on the receiving end, it's about being part of a community of people who share the same passions, we can certainly agree to disagree as that is the beauty of living in the free world!!