Reviews vs Feedback: Fixing the Broken System

Reviews – A Necessary Evil?

There’s a common belief in the hospitality industry: online reviews are king. They shape reputations, influence bookings, and can make or break business.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth, reviews were never designed to help businesses.

I said I hate reviews but let me nuance that.

I don’t hate reviews; I hate what reviews have become.

They exist for potential customers, not for those working tirelessly behind the scenes to create great experiences.

And that’s exactly why they’re broken.

The Problem with Reviews

1. They Represent the Extremes

Research shows that only a small fraction of customers leave reviews, and they’re usually the ones with strong opinions. Allow me to explain. 40% of travelers write reviews when they have an exceptional experience. But an even larger percentage, 48%, leave reviews after a bad experience.

In the UK, two-thirds of online reviews are negative, with restaurants and hotels being the most targeted.

This imbalance means that reviews are not a reflection of reality. They’re snapshots of strong emotions, not a full, fair representation of customer satisfaction.

2. They Don’t Provide Actionable Insights

A one-star review that says, “Terrible service” doesn’t help a restaurant fix anything.

A five-star review that says, “Loved it!” doesn’t tell them what to keep doing. It’s a snapshot of how a person feels in the moment, but without more detail, you don’t know what’s wrong or how to fix it.

Imagine if, in your personal relationships, all you had were reviews instead of real conversations.

“Fine.” “Annoying.” “OK.” “Frustrating.”

A review tells you the surface-level opinion, but not the insight you need to give someone what they really need.

3. They Can Be Manipulated

Oobah Butler’s infamous Shed at Dulwich experiment proved just how easy it is to game the system.

By creating a completely fake restaurant and using fabricated reviews, he managed to get it ranked as London’s #1 restaurant on TripAdvisor.

Customers, media, and even suppliers believed the hype, despite one important fact.

The restaurant didn’t even exist.

The Alternative: Real, Actionable Feedback

If reviews are broken, what’s the solution? Feedback.

Unlike reviews, which are often emotionally charged and public-facing, feedback is:

• Private and structured
• Collected from a large sample of customers, not just the extremes
• Designed to help businesses improve, not just impress new customers

At Foodback, we’ve seen this firsthand. Up to 30% of guests at hospitality venues complete our surveys when given the opportunity, a far higher percentage than those who leave online reviews. This means businesses get a much richer, more balanced understanding of their customer experience.

How Feedback Creates Better Reviews

Now, here’s where it gets interesting.

Despite their flaws, there’s no denying it. Reviews matter. Customers will always check them before choosing a restaurant, hotel, or cruise ship. But what if businesses could reshape their reviews from the inside out?

Perhaps the answer lies in using feedback to improve experiences, and then encouraging satisfied customers to share their stories?

Here’s how it could work:

1. Collect feedback from a broader customer base, not just the loudest voices.
2. Identify key areas for improvement and fix them before they turn into negative reviews.
3. Use real-time feedback and live notifications to save situations before they escalate.
4. Encourage happy customers to give positive feedback to share their experience online, balancing the conversation and making reviews more reflective of reality.

The Bottom Line: Take Back Control

The truth is reviews aren’t going anywhere. But businesses don’t have to sit back and let their reputation be dictated by the loudest voices in the room.

The key isn’t to chase more reviews, it’s to create experiences that customers naturally want to share. And that starts with feedback.

When you listen to your customers, really listen, you create an experience worth talking about. And when you fix what’s broken, improve what’s working, and elevate every touchpoint, people notice.

They don’t just leave, they leave reviews. Reviews that actually reflect what your business is about. Reviews that can fuel your passion with purpose.

Feedback isn’t just a way to improve your business. It’s the best way to take control of your reputation.

Start with feedback.

Change the conversation.

And let your customers tell the real story.

Stian Løkling Pedersen

Founder & CEO

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