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DEL.ICIO.USWhy Does a Negative Review Seem More “Honest?”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After receiving several emails regarding my “poor” rating of Geisha House (here’s the review in accessAtlanta) in Atlantic Station, I’m prompted to ask the reading public: Why is it that when I write something scathingly negative it’s perceived as more honest? Many readers — kindly I add — wrote to tell me thanks for such honesty in my writing.
While I appreciate the kind input, I’m befuddled. Often when I give a restaurant a four-star review I get response that clearly perceives the review as puffed up or jaded by me in some way. In other words, negative is perceived as “honest,” while high praise is perceived as trumped up.
Let me state for the record that negative, positive or in between, I am always trying to be as honest as possible in my assessment of a restaurant. So why is negative perceived as “honest?”
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Comments
By Speakeasy
August 10, 2007 1:15 PM | Link to this
with so many people voicing their opinion about atlanta’s dining scene, your’s is the most trusted in the city. I know what to expect from a restaurant based on what you’ve written. Geisha House is a mall restaurant, there not here for “foodies”, there here for the crowd that hops from one new spot to the next. The Shout crowd, The Tap crowd, The Dolce crowd, The Rosa Crowd. It is what it is. Thanks though for your work.
By atlpsuchik
August 13, 2007 11:17 AM | Link to this
I read all the restaurant reviews with a grain of salt. Some places that are beloved by the AJC critics are destinations I will never visit due to lack of interest or funds. Dining reviews are a nice guideline, and a good way to set expectations. But they are by no means a guarantee - for good or bad!
By josh
August 13, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this
I don’t read your articles because I think they are second rate. You should be the food critic in a small town. It’s not the honesty as much as the effort you put in. Kessler is a much better writer and definatley more talented than you.
By meridith ford
August 13, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this
Thanks Josh. I’ll let John know…
By Mike
August 14, 2007 1:14 PM | Link to this
I’m much more cynical about 100% positive or 100% negative reviews - you complimented Geisha House, as I recall, for its decor, but the food and service were unsatisfactory.
When I read “civilian” reviews, on web sites like TripAdvisor, I know that they’re going to be skewed negative, because the reviewer doesn’t have an equal incentive to write and post a poistive review. I also see a lot of ignorance in these negative reviews - most New York hotels will have reviews that talk about the small rooms and expensive room service, but it’s unlikely the reviewers know what’s considered “normal” for that city.