It's TA now, not T&A

Imagine you own a restaurant. Or a hotel. Or a bar. Or even a scooter rental agency. Do you want some great free advertising? Well ask your Mom for a list of who will be coming over for Thanksgiving. Then in December ask for a Christmas list. Family reunion coming up? Get a list. If you have a large family your list will be getting pretty long by now. Now just write a small letter to everyone on your list. You can make it generic and just change the name on top. When you see them at these family functions just pass out your letters and ask if they could do you a favor. They’re family, right?  They won’t be offended. In this letter kindly ask the recipient to write you a sparkling review on the “be all and end all” review site of the world, Tripadvisor. Known just as TA to travel enthusiasts.  If you can get 40 people to do this you’ll probably wind up in the top 5 on Tripadvisor. Even if 15 real reviewers bash your place, guess what? You’ll probably still be ranked in the top 10. This will significantly promote your business among the throngs of Americans, and the rest of the world for that matter, who treat Tripadvisor as the Bible of travel. Those who wouldn’t dare go anywhere until they have read a review by Johnny Numbnuts from Backass, Nowhere.  You get into the top 3 in a big city and you could be set for life.  So you can just imagine to what lengths businesses will go to boost their Tripadvisor status.  They'll fake it.  But this idea is not original, everyone who owns a business does it. Just as you can be sure competitors in the same area will use bad reviews to diminish each others status. A business is ranked higher than you? They may be better or they may just have more friends than you. Who knows? The point is that probably half (if not more) of what you read on Tripadvisor is just a fabrication. Reviews written by people who have never eaten in that restaurant, slept in that hotel, sipped a cocktail in that bar or ridden on the death trap of a scooter that you are now convinced is safe.

But let’s be honest, we’re never going to stop looking at Tripadvisor. And as skeptical as I am to the validity of some of the reviews I still use it all the time.  My wife loves Tripadvisor and actively writes about her hotel and restaurant experiences. And she has found some great places using it. So I have a few words of advice when using Tripadvisor. Take a look at who wrote the review, not just the review itself. If they have only given a one off review then I just don't trust it. The Tripadvisor faithful tend to write often and you can look at other places they have visited and written about. Which is always a good thing. Look at where they like to travel or eat; do you like these places? Also have a look at where the reviewer is from. Being from New York, I tend to read more closely if the reviewer is also from New York. Not because New York is better, but I’m sure a guy from Brisbane, Australia will have more in common with a fellow Brisbanian than someone from Santiago, Chili. You get me? Also look at the age group. (There is a reason there are these categories).  I don’t think a gaggle of 25 year old girls on a drunken hen weekend are a good reference if you are an older couple looking for a quiet getaway. Yeah, they could give it the best review ever, but really, need I say more. So we'll never abandon Tripadvisor altogether. But it has been corrupted over the years and it is no longer the unbiased review forum that it used to be, if it ever really was.
If you don’t believe me have a look: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/irish-hotel-told-staff-to-fake-tripadvisor-reviews-14991108.html  They were just stupid enough to get caught.
I have to go. I'm going to Mexico in December and my hotel is 6th! on TA.  I just need to read a few more reviews.

"Get me home so i can write my review!"