Posting negative business reviews and feedback

Question. Are negative reviews of local business, or expressed concerns about Covid-19 safety in local retailers not to be shared on the Forum?

As my post was moved into a new thread, this provides context. The question is intended for admin rather than to members.

You can post what you like within site guidelines, and it’s for members to flag problems and moderators to act if things go astray.

If anyone does have a problem with a business, it’s probably best to take it up with that business first and give them a chance to fix things and make good before posting bad reviews online and such. It’s much nicer to post nice things after all.

In the specific case above, which is a problem between a business and employee, I think the post you quoted already explains the preference and rationale not to name and shame.

Sure it is. Though there are also times to take to social media to complain about a company or to share a bad experience with the community. The local services section is full of both good AND bad recommendations. And this site under the previous admin did not shy away from taking a concern itself to social media to illicit a response from a company.

However, in the matter of Covid-19 issues I am sure many members would welcome insider information on the mitigation measures that local businesses have, or don’t have behind the scenes. Particularly as we face a much more virulent strain in London.

For example, I’ve now got my father who is 83 staying with. As a result, our household is minimizing our interactions including shop visits. Any news of poor Covid-19 measures, especially those behind the public face of the business is of great interest to me and I’m sure to others. I’m not particularly keen to wait until the business has had a ‘chance to fix things’.

I hope others will feel free to post information on this and their expressed concerns, as many have already done. If issues are raised, perhaps you could continue the previous admin’s use of other social media to amplify the concern with the shop/company/firm.

As for posting nice things… here’s a comedic report of a catastrophic carrot crime coming from Calgary. It includes a bunny.

In this case we were talking about a staff member who wanted their employer to implement a one-way system and customer limits.

Just my opinion, but I don’t think one-way systems make shops any safer. They just cause shoppers to traipse further around the shop. In fact IKEA uses such systems specifically to lengthen customer visits.

I had a quick look online and couldn’t find any legally-enforceable national rules which mandate one way systems. Nor customer limits.

So, surely, customers should be free to choose where they want to shop, and shops should be free to implement their own Covid risk mitigation strategy (with only masks, hand hygiene and best-efforts social distancing enforced in law).

We’re all adults. If customers or staff demand one-way systems or customer limits, it’s up to them to shop (or work) where those systems exist.

By “naming and shaming” retailers that don’t fit our particular set of personal opinions on Covid management, we’re harming businesses unnecessarily.

@ForestHull (and the original poster) were right to have granted anonymity here.

The original topic was about an alleged discussion between a business and it’s employee. It’s fairly different to posting a first-hand experience about poor service, dodgy tradesmen or a bad meal etc…

And while I feel for your situation, which is not unlike that of many others too, I think given the description of the shop you would probably see there’s no one-way system or it’s busy and decide not to enter in any case. The original poster says they are taking it to the HSE and local MP and don’t wish to name the business, and I respect that.

As I said, you can post what you like within site guidelines , and it’s for members to flag problems and moderators to act if things go astray.

But there’s no need to urge others to name-and-shame on the basis of a second-hand account if they don’t want to or it would unnecessarily damage a local business.