An empirical examination of online restaurant reviews on Yelp.com

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 817-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung-Byung Yang ◽  
Sunyoung Hlee ◽  
Jimin Lee ◽  
Chulmo Koo
Keyword(s):  
Physical Environment ◽  
Coding Theory ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Harvesting Technique ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Presentation Formats ◽  
Restaurant Reviews

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of two types of presentation formats (textual and imagery) involving online restaurant reviews (ORRs). The study examines ORRs on the basis of review usefulness and review enjoyment; the study investigates the effects of the two presentation formats on review usefulness and review enjoyment. Design/methodology/approach Data from 1,776 reviews were collected from Yelp.com using a Web data-harvesting technique. Hypothesized relations in the model were tested by Tobit regression analysis. Findings Empirical results show that different formats of ORRs affect review usefulness and review enjoyment in different manners; whereas both attributes of textual format (review length and readability) affect review usefulness, both aspects of imagery format (physical environment images and food and beverage images) are positively related to review enjoyment. However, review length and food and beverage images are the most important factors affecting both review usefulness and review enjoyment. In particular, the relation between the two formats of ORRs and review usefulness is mediated by review enjoyment. Research limitations/implications The focus of this study is the two formats of ORRs in terms of dual coding theory and the mediating role of review enjoyment. The findings help online review website organizers manage the operation of various review formats in a proper manner. Managers can effectively select those formats that would achieve the desired effect. Originality/value Unlike previous studies on the relation of attributes to online reviews, this study examines the perceptions of ORRs’ usefulness and enjoyment. In addition, this study encompasses diverse ORR factors (review length, review readability, physical environment images, food and beverage images) for a more comprehensive interpretation of ORRs.

The effect of online reviews on restaurant visit intentions: applying signaling and involvement theories

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Aureliano-Silva ◽  
Xi Leung ◽  
Eduardo Eugênio Spers
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Signaling Theory ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Involvement ◽  
Online Ratings ◽  
Involvement Theory ◽  
Restaurant Reviews

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of online reviews on consumers’ intention to visit restaurants, with the moderating role of involvement. Design/methodology/approach The research framework was built on signaling theory, message appeals and involvement theory. To test the proposed framework, three experiments were conducted online with real customer samples. T-tests, ANOVA and SPSS PROCESS macro were used for data analysis. Findings The results revealed that online reviews with higher online ratings and emotional appeal led to higher restaurant visit intention. Review appeal significantly moderated the effect of online ratings on restaurant visit intention. Customers with low restaurant involvement were more impacted by emotional comments than by functional comments. Research limitations/implications The present study extends our knowledge on the effects of online reviews moderated by levels of customer involvement. By combining signaling theory with involvement theory, it adds value to the literature on customer online behavior, especially in the foodservice context. The present study has limitations that might provide opportunities for future research. It used evaluations (TripAdvisor scores) and only positive reviews (texts), so customers’ intentions considering negative reviews could not be examined. The level of hedonism concerning consumption in restaurants and prior knowledge regarding restaurant reviews was not controlled for. It is possible that the level of hedonism perceived and prior review knowledge may moderate the customers’ intention to visit the restaurant. Practical implications The present study shows the importance of online comments for the promotion of restaurants that have low evaluation scores. It is essential that restaurant owners and managers encourage potential customers by using comments to elaborate on their marketing strategies and promotion. At the same time, they should invite customers to share their emotional experiences, and not just their views on service efficiency (a functional aspect). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of the internet and mobile devices has become more prominent. Managers could therefore use emotional messages on the restaurant’s website or apps to attract customers with low restaurant involvement. Also, a system to identify the involvement of customers with restaurants could be implemented online or on mobile devices to present specific messages. The present study also recommends the use of online tools as virtual tours, photographs taken from different angles, smiling faces, floor plans and sittings and pre-determined emotional expressions. Also, the restaurant could promote lives on cooking different dishes to motive customer’s interaction and comments. These would help to increase customers’ visit intentions. Originality/value This study extends knowledge about the effect of restaurant online reviews (both ratings and appeals) moderated by the level of customer involvement. The present study also adds value to the customer online behavior literature showing that customers with low involvement are more sensitive to emotional content as they use the affective route to process information rather than the central route.

Halal versus Hipster: the struggle for Sydney road and the culture of complaint

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1485-1496
Author(s):  
Michael Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Municipality ◽  
Interesting Approach ◽  
Halal Food ◽  
Restaurant Reviews ◽  
Analytical Tools

Purpose Sydney road in Melbourne is a multicultural experiment where Hipster youth culture contests the street space with a variety of immigrants from the Middle East and Indian subcontinent who consumer Halal food. This paper explores the relationship between these through an examination of their respective cuisines and negative online restaurant reviews. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of conflict as it expresses itself in this way and to consider the wider political context in passing. Design/methodology/approach Google online restaurant reviews for all food outlets in the area were tabulated and then the percentage of negative reviews was calculated. Restaurants were split into categories by area and by ethnicity. The results were then discussed with reference to other research in this area. Findings Hipster, Middle Eastern Halal and pubs enjoyed the lowest levels of negative online reviews. Indian, Pakistani and chain restaurants had the highest levels of negative online reviews. This could be due to many undetermined causes. Research limitations/implications More powerful analytical tools were not used. Also, the text of the reviews was not examined or discussed. Practical implications Restaurants who attract larger percentages of negative reviews should try to improve their service offerings. This can be achieved by the standardisation of market offering. Social implications The local municipality, which is Moreland council should consider focussing on promoting and expanding this precinct and encouraging the emergence of several zones so that Islamic tourism and way of life can be facilitated. Originality/value This is a simple and interesting approach, which encapsulates the paradoxes and dynamics of the Australian attitude to multiculturalism by focusing on a single aspect of customer response in a consumption setting. As such it is an antidote to excessive theorising and empiricism. Readers will enjoy this study and may use the approach to guide their own choice of dining venues.

To follow others or be yourself? Social influence in online restaurant reviews

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 1067-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hengyun Li ◽  
Fang Meng ◽  
Miyoung Jeong ◽  
Zili Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Influence ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Service ◽  
The Social ◽  
Restaurant Reviews ◽  
Influence Process ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Online reviews are often likely to be socially influenced by prior reviews. This study aims to examine key review and reviewer characteristics which may influence the social influence process. Design/methodology/approach Restaurant review data from Yelp.com are analyzed using an ordered logit model and text mining approach. Findings This study reveals that prior average review rating exerts a positive influence on subsequent review ratings for the same restaurant, but the effect is attenuated by the variance in existing review ratings. Moreover, social influence is stronger for consumers who had a moderate dining experience or invested less cognitive effort in writing online reviews. Compared to reviewers classified by Yelp as “elite,” non-elite reviewers appear more susceptible to the social influence of prior average review rating. Practical implications This study provides guidelines for mitigating the social influence of prior reviews and improving the accuracy of online product/service ratings, which will eventually enhance business and the reputation of online review platforms. Originality/value The findings from this study contribute to the electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) literature and social influence literature in terms of the bidirectional nature of social influence on eWOM.

Identifying value-creating aspects in luxury hotel services via third-party online reviews: a cross-cultural study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodoula H. Tsiotsou
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
Physical Evidence ◽  
Luxury Hotels

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to identify critical value-creating elements of luxury services expressed in ratings and reviews posted on third-party sites and examine cross-cultural differences. To this end, the research analyzed online ratings and reviews of luxury hotels posted on TripAdvisor from customers of four European regions (East, North, South and West).Design/methodology/approachEight hundred thirty-eight online user-generated ratings and reviews of luxury hotels were analyzed quantitatively using MANOVA and qualitatively using text analysis.FindingsThe study findings support (a) that product and physical evidence are the most critical experiential elements of luxury hotels' offerings and (b) cultural differences among tourists from various regions of Europe in their hotel ratings and reviews. Specifically, Eastern and Northern Europeans are more generous in their review ratings than western and southern Europeans. Moreover, eastern Europeans value the hotel's physical evidence/environment whereas western Europeans prioritize the core product (room and food) followed by the physical environment/servicescape. Southern Europeans and Northern Europeans value most the personnel, followed by the physical environment and the core product, respectively.Practical implicationsCultural differences provide several implications with regard to luxury services segmentation, social media management, service marketing mix development and hotel promotion.Originality/valueThe value of this study originates from studying post–purchase customer behavior in luxury services from a cross-cultural perspective. Moreover, identifying critical aspects of value-creating customer experience in a luxury context adds to the available literature.

Influence of online product presentation on consumers’ trust in organic food

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (12) ◽  
pp. 2724-2739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liuqing Yue ◽  
Yongmei Liu ◽  
Xuhua Wei
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Online Review ◽  
Media Richness ◽  
Network Marketing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Presentation Formats ◽  
Product Presentation ◽  
Food Sales

Purpose Against the background of industrialisation and modernisation of agriculture, food production issues and environmental hazards have become more and more obvious and consumers are increasingly concerned about food safety and health, which is strengthening demand for organic food. E-commerce provides a new channel for sales. Research on consumer trust in online organic food sales is the basis of network marketing. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A laboratory experiment was used to empirically test the effects of media richness on consumers’ trust and the moderating effect of online review length. A 2×2 factorial design (i.e. two types of online product presentation formats (between-subject)×two levels of online review lengths (between-subject)) was used. Findings Media richness has a significant positive effect on consumers’ trust and that this effect is moderated by online review length. Meanwhile, perceived risk conveys the interaction effect of the media richness of online product presentation and online review length to trust. Practical implications E-commerce websites should aim to promote organic food by using a variety of online product presentation formats and by presenting high quality online reviews in order to reduce consumers’ perceived risk and improve their degree of trust when buying online. Originality/value This paper provides a new insight into consumers’ attitude of buying organic food online. The results of the research could provide proposals for promoting organic food sales online.

Simultaneous effects of multiple cues in restaurant reviews

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 521-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther L. Kim ◽  
Sarah Tanford
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Factorial Design ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Cues ◽  
Situational Cues ◽  
Restaurant Reviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how consumers simultaneously process multiple cues for different dining occasions when making a restaurant decision. Design/methodology/approach This paper investigates the influence of priming (review prototype), effort (distance) and involvement (occasion) on restaurant evaluations, willingness to drive and willingness to pay for a restaurant meal. A 2 (prototype: negative, positive) × 2 (distance: close, far) × 2 (occasion: casual, special) between-subjects factorial design was used. Findings The paper finds that each variable influences a different outcome, whereby people rely on a review prototype for restaurant evaluation and choice, a distance cue for willingness to drive and a dining occasion for willingness to pay. Practical implications This paper suggests that restaurant marketers can highlight exemplary service through online reviews, increase profitability by promoting special occasions and geographically expand their market by attracting people to drive for a special dinner. Originality/value This paper evaluates the simultaneous interactive effects of multiple cues in service settings. It demonstrates that situational cues moderate the effect of primary cues in online reviews.

scholarly journals Which factors influence locals’ and visitors’ overall restaurant evaluations?

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 2793-2812
Author(s):  
Ilona Pezenka ◽  
Christian Weismayer
Keyword(s):  
Online Reviews ◽  
Specific Aspect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Overall Evaluation ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Restaurant Reviews ◽  
Restaurant Experience ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Few studies to date have explored factors contributing to the dining experience from a visitor’s perspective. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether different restaurant attributes are critical in evaluating the restaurant experience in online reviews for visitors (non-local) and local guests. Design/methodology/approach In all, 100,831 online restaurant reviews retrieved from TripAdvisor are analyzed by using domain-specific aspect-based sentiment detection. The influence of different restaurant features on the overall evaluation of visitors and locals is determined and the most critical factors are identified by the frequency of their online discussion. Findings There are significant differences between locals and visitors regarding the impact of busyness, payment options, atmosphere and location on the overall star rating. Furthermore, the valence of the factors drinks, facilities, food, busyness and menu found in the reviews also differs significantly between the two types of guests. Practical implications The findings of this study help restaurant managers to better understand the different customer needs. Based on the results, they can better decide which restaurant aspects should receive the most attention to ensure that customers are satisfied. Originality/value Research on online reviews has largely neglected the role of different visitation motives. This study assumes that the reviews of local and non-local restaurant visitors are based on different factors and separates them to gain a more fine-grained and realistic picture of the relevant factors for each particular group.

Beyond self-selection: the multilayered online review biases at the intersection of users, platforms and culture

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangyou Shen ◽  
Bing Pan ◽  
Tao Hu ◽  
Kaijun Chen ◽  
Lin Qiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Online Review ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Additional Layer ◽  
Self Selection ◽  
User Data ◽  
Restaurant Reviews

PurposeOnline review bias research has predominantly focused on self-selection biases on the user’s side. By collecting online reviews from multiple platforms and examining their biases in the unique digital environment of “Chinanet,” this paper aims to shed new light on the multiple sources of biases embedded in online reviews and potential interactions among users, technical platforms and the broader social–cultural norms.Design/methodology/approachIn the first study, online restaurant reviews were collected from Dianping.com, one of China's largest review platforms. Their distribution and underlying biases were examined via comparisons with offline reviews collected from on-site surveys. In the second study, user and platform ratings were collected from three additional major online review platforms – Koubei, Meituan and Ele.me – and compared for possible indications of biases in platform's review aggregation.FindingsThe results revealed a distinct exponential-curved distribution of Chinese users’ online reviews, suggesting a deviation from previous findings based on Western user data. The lack of online “moaning” on Chinese review platforms points to the social–cultural complexity of Chinese consumer behavior and online environment that goes beyond self-selection at the individual user level. The results also documented a prevalent usage of customized aggregation methods by review service providers in China, implicating an additional layer of biases introduced by technical platforms.Originality/valueUsing an online–offline design and multi-platform data sets, this paper elucidates online review biases among Chinese users, the world's largest and understudied (in terms of review biases) online user group. The results provide insights into the unique social–cultural cyber norm in China's digital environment and bring to light the multilayered nature of online review biases at the intersection of users, platforms and culture.

How to prevent negative online customer reviews: the moderating roles of monetary compensation and psychological compensation

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 3115-3134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Liu ◽  
HengJin Zhang ◽  
JingJing Sun ◽  
NingXin Li ◽  
Anil Bilgihan
Keyword(s):  
Service Recovery ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Reviews ◽  
Monetary Compensation ◽  
Beverage Industry ◽  
Online Customer Reviews ◽  
Recovery Strategies ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Online Rating

Purpose This paper aims to clarify the effects of motivations on negative online customer reviews (OCRs) behavior in an integrative framework and to identify the moderating role of monetary compensation and psychological compensation in the Chinese food and beverage industry. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 377 consumers who posted a negative review online. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the research hypotheses. Findings The authors identified some characteristics of the consumers who posted negative online reviews in the Chinese food and beverage industry and found evidence that reveals the positive effects of emotional venting motivation and altruism motivation on posting negative customer online reviews. Economic motivation and self-enhancement motivation were not significantly connected to negative OCRs behaviors. Service recovery strategies can moderate the relationship between certain motivations and behaviors. The absence of psychological compensation will aggravate the influence of emotion venting motivation on consumers’ negative online reviews, while monetary compensation can restrain the influence of altruism motivation on negative online rating behavior. Research limitations/implications This paper did not explore the effect of the fairness and timeliness of service recovery on negative OCRs behavior. This paper did not consider the different restaurant types and customers' characteristics, and future research can test similar models with different and more diverse samples. Practical implications When implementing service recovery strategies, it is important to consider the psychological component of recovery. The absence of psychological compensation aggravates the influence of high levels of emotion venting motivation on consumers’ negative OCRs, leading to a lower rating, more word comments and negative photos. High levels of monetary compensation can restrain the influence of altruism motivation on negative online rating behavior. Originality/value The current paper contributes to the hospitality management literature by investigating the motivations behind consumer decisions to post negative OCRs in a food and beverage context. In addition, the moderating effect that service recovery strategies have on this relationship was also explored in depth.

Seeking reward or avoiding risk from restaurant reviews: does distance matter?

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (12) ◽  
pp. 4482-4499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther L. Kim ◽  
Sarah Tanford
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Restaurant Industry ◽  
Risk Avoidance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Base ◽  
Restaurant Reviews ◽  
Gains And Losses ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extent to which consumers will exert more effort to avoid risk (negative reviews) versus seek reward (positive reviews) when making a restaurant decision. Design/methodology/approach This study investigates the influence of distance and review valence on restaurant decisions. A 2 (base restaurant review valence: negative, neutral) × 2 (target restaurant review valence: neutral, positive) × 2 (distance: 30 min, 60 min) between-subjects factorial design was used. Findings People exert more effort to seek a reward versus avoid a risk. People will drive any distance to dine at a restaurant with positive reviews. However, the tendency to avoid a restaurant with negative reviews declines as distance increases. Practical implications This study emphasizes the critical role of positive reviews in the restaurant industry. This research provides guidance to operators to manage online reviews effectively. The marketing strategy taking into account review valence and distance allows the business to attract new customers and grow its customer base. Originality/value This research synthesizes asymmetry effects and prospect theory with the level of risk associated with the outcome. This research is theoretically noteworthy since the finding of a reverse asymmetry principle is in contrast with the traditional belief of risk-avoidance when comparing gains and losses.

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