Finicky customers are par for the course in the food industry, but if online reviews are to be believed, Seasoned Street Food’s consistent five-star average indicates a good track record for keeping its customers happy.
But in early February, out of nowhere and overnight, Seasoned Street Food’s rating dropped from five stars to three. Reviews flooded in with alarming accusations that were far beyond the typical disgruntled customer gripes.
“We had a barrage of one-star reviews come in all blaming us for taking money from people we shouldn't have and keeping it, not doing what they want us to do,” owner Jonathan Evola says. “There were a couple of fake reviews saying that we made people sick, that we were not doing our jobs properly, that we were crooks and thieves.”
In addition to the negative reviews, Evola received also hundreds of phone calls on the matter. It didn’t take him long to piece together what had happened. Seasoned Street Food was being accused of pocketing a $4,000 tip from food influencer Keith Lee, who had instructed them to distribute the tip among their staff, resulting in a viral controversy.
"The owner is a greedy individual who doesn't pay the people who help her," read one review.
"Greedy lady," read another. "Run this business down!!!!"
Was justice served in this attempted takedown? Not exactly.
What these vigilantes failed to realize is that Evola and his team at Seasoned Street Food didn’t pocket that tip. They never received the tip at all, nor have they ever had any interaction with Lee. This scandal occurred at the similarly named but unaffiliated Sweetly Seasoned Food Truck, whose owner received a tsunami of backlash after a Lee visit that forced them to close shop shortly after the fact.
When you Google “Sweetly Seasoned Food Truck Dallas,” however, Seasoned Street Food is now the first result. All of the outrage towards the disgraced food truck was promptly redirected to the innocent catering service.
Established businesses often have hundreds or even thousands of reviews, making it easy for hateful ones to get lost in the shuffle. Seasoned Street Food, which has been open for about a year, had around 20 and was easily overtaken by the misguided mob.
“Your presence online is everything,” Evola says. “I mean, that's how people find you. That's how they decide whether they're going to use you and if they don't trust you.”
Studies show that 90% of customers will research a restaurant online before visiting and that 77% trust the perspective of average diners like themselves over that of a professional critic. Furthermore, 33% refuse to eat somewhere with less than four stars.
In many ways, online reviews democratize information about restaurants. Multiple customers documenting their experiences over time can provide a wealth of real-time context.
The downside of giving everyone a say is that, well, everyone gets a say. Spiteful former employees get a say. Hostile customers who can’t admit they were in the wrong get a say. Hate brigades confusing you for another business get a say. All of these bad actors have the potential to bring your rating down and break the trust of your customers.
“I literally had brides that we were scheduled to cater the weddings,” says Evola. “They got wind of our reviews dropping [...] They didn't know the full story but they were questioning whether or not we can even take care of them properly.”
While Evola believes that online reviews provide helpful feedback (he himself won’t go to a business with under four stars), he also sees it as a tactic to bully and silence business owners in bad faith.
“You’re almost helpless at that point,” he says. “Once it starts, it can be extremely damaging. It's hard to bounce back from it.”
The misplaced hate dealt a blow to Seasoned Street Food’s previously sterling reputation, but once word of the error got out, their supporters rose to the challenge of making things right.
How to Help Seasoned Street Food, the Dallas Catering Business People Are Wrongly Leaving Negative Reviews ForA Reddit thread was created with instructions on how to report bad reviews to Google and replace them with positive ones. Thanks to efforts from both Evola and helpful Redditors, the bad-faith negative reviews were taken down.
byu/joeyoungblood indallasfood
As the air was cleared, the drama subsided. Seasoned Street Food is back up to 4.9 stars on Google and its website contains a pop-up disclaimer stating that it is not Sweetly Seasoned Food Truck, with info on how to get in touch with the defunct business.
The story is multiple cautionary tales rolled into one. The first lesson is that just because it’s the first result on Google doesn’t mean it’s what you’re looking for. The second is that while online reviews can be helpful, they must be approached critically and taken with a grain of salt. The customer isn’t always right. And sometimes, as in the case of Seasoned Street Food, the customer could not possibly be more wrong.
