I’ve been thinking a lot about free speech really, though in truth, the issue of the right to express opinions and beliefs is something endemic to the review industry all of the time. Reviews are, after all, the subjective experience...

Search engine monopoly, Google has been accused of playing rough in Australia by an ‘experiment’ that removes certain news websites from search results. In and of itself, that’s fairly average but it is even more worrying, considering  earlier calls by...

I worked in the hospitality industry in various capacities when I was much younger and while I loved being in a kitchen, I quickly worked out that I didn’t quite have the patience or the quick thinking required to be...

Late last year, or nearly a week ago, former Australian cricket captain, Steve Smith was named test player of the decade by the ICC (International Cricket Council). Now, don’t get me wrong, Smith is a fantastic cricketer, with an incredible record...

For some businesses owners, challenging reviews are a huge obstacle and sometimes end up being a stumbling block that they just can not get past. While there is obviously a human element to dealing with and accepting criticism – fair...

In 1992 the Queen defined one of the more challenging 12 months of her reign with a handy Latin phrase that summed it up perfectly – an annus horribilis (horrible year). She was referring to a string of divorces in the family,...

Each year BrightLocal publishes the eagerly anticipated and well respected results of its annual Local Consumer Review Survey. Year in, year out, the survey affirms the supremacy of online reviews as a dominant driver of consumer choice. This year has...

This week the very first Covid-19 vaccination was administered to a 9o year old in the UK. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was created in record time and offers a real sense of hope of being able to defeat a virus that...

Reviews are only valid and worthwhile if they are honest, transparent and real but more than that businesses need to be aware that in New Zealand, there is a legal requirement to present reviews accurately, and consequences if those obligations is not...

The vast majority of unflattering reviews online focus on failures to deliver what was promised – whether that be for a product or a service. The substantial factor in all of this is that the uncomplimentary review is very often...