YELP CASE STUDY: Botto Bistro: A Big Pizza Pie in Yelp's Eye

Not all businesses are concerned about responding appropriately to negative reviews. In fact, one California pizzeria is actually asking its customer s to give it a one-star rating on Yelp. Why? Well, it all began when Botto Bistro lost its amore for this social media channel.

Originally, business owner Davide Cerretini's restaurant was just being reviewed on Yelp like any other. However, he soon felt significant pressure to advertise with the review site as well. He told the publication Ars Technica that the restaurant was contacted repeatedly by Yelp in order to get him to advertise, "' times a week, sometimes five times a

day'".Eventually, Cerretini relented did begin advertising with the review site. However, after six months of doing so, he decided to stop. According to Cerretini, he experienced a backlash from Yelp. One of the pizzeria's most positive reviews disappeared and the number of negative reviews on the site increased. Rather than accept the situation, Botto Bistro chose a more proactive approach

.

In 2014, the pizzeria began asking its customers to write negative, one-star reviews about it on Yelp. Cerretini even offered his customers a 25% discount off their pizza if they did so in 2014 and then upped that amount to 50% off the following year. To help his customers craft their negative reviews, he also put suggested things they could complain about on a blackboard mounted in Botto Bistro (e.g. "We don't change the TV channel. We charge for bread. What can you do? Hate us on Yelp and get 25% off any pizza for your one star review."

The Results of Botto Bistro's Hate Us on Yelp Campaign

Yelp's Response

Yelp sent Cerretini a letter stating that he had violated the site's guidelines. To which the business owner countered by asking how he could violate guidelines he had never actually agreed to.

When asked by HuffPost Live for a comment on this story, Yelp sent a statement that noted in part that, "'There is no amount of money a business can pay Yelp to manipulate reviews, nor does our automated recommendation software punish those who choose not to advertise.'"

The Public's Response

Botto Bistro did indeed get the one-star reviews it asked for. Many were creative and funny, and Cerretini certainly appreciated their support.

Botto Bistro in 2018

Botto Bistro still continues to offer its customers a 50% discount off pizza for one-star reviews.

Each month, the person who writes the funniest, most sarcastic review gets to attend one of their cooking classes for free.

As of April 2018, the pizzeria has a 2.5-star Yelp rating, and 233 recommended reviews and 57 hidden reviews.

QUESTIONS

1. What do you think about Botto Bistro's claims against Yelp?

2. Do you think the pizzeria's campaign to become the worst-reviewed website on the social media channel is a good idea? Why or why not?

3. In general, do you think a business should ask its customers for reviews, good or bad?