Opentable block bad reviewers

Reviews are the backbone of many local businesses. When deciding to place an order on DoorDash, schedule a date, or grab a quick bite, it’s important to get a rough sense of how people feel about a restaurant.

Running a small local business is brutal, and it’s even worse when you have thousands of people who can kill your reputation with a few keystrokes if you make a mistake.

This is why I generally aim to avoid leaving reviews altogether. If I have a real problem with a place, I’ll call them directly or speak to someone on the staff (this is exceedingly rare for me). It doesn’t feel fair to leave a permanent punishment for what might have been a one-time mistake.

This got me thinking about people who go scorched-earth on restaurants they visit. What if businesses could fight back through apps like OpenTable? You can imagine an experience where chronic 1-star reviewers are blacklisted from the app entirely, or forbidden from making reservations at specific restaurants.

I think this would be a valuable way to protect small businesses, but it ultimately harms the customer, so I don’t see a world where this ships.

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