A Restaurant Claims Google 'Glassholes' Hurt Its Reviews
Toward the end of last month, a customer wearing Google Glass walked in for brunch. As the story goes, one of the managers asked her to take them off before sitting down to eat. The manager didn't think it'd be a problem because one Glass wearer had complied in the past. But this time, the woman refused and left.
After the incident happened, Glass wearer Katy Kasmai wrote about it on Google+.
"For the first time ever this place, Feast, in #NYC just asked that I remove +Google Glass because customers have complained of privacy concerns in the past," Kasmai wrote. "Never has happened to me before in the one year I've had Glass. I left."
Over 100 people commented on her post - some whom said they would've left the restaurant, too. One person even suggested giving the restaurant negative reviews.
"Everyone should give them a one star rating on Google Maps," one person wrote.
Shortly after the Kasmai wrote the post, the restaurant noticed a slew of one-star reviews on Google reviews. Last week, its rating went as low as 2.4 stars. It's currently at 3.1. On Yelp, Feast is rated a solid four out of five stars.
"When the first thing that comes up when you search Feast in Google is a 3.1, it can really hurt a restaurant like us," one of Feast's managers told local blog EV Grieve. "Then you have 13 people, which is about half the total reviews, who have never been to our restaurant let alone live in NYC, leave you one-star reviews … it's malicious and technically a violation of Google's own terms for leaving reviews. Again I can understand her leaving the one-star based on her experience, but 12 others with no experience on who we are or what we do is unfair."
But within the last week, tt seems that some people are now chiming in on behalf of the restaurant.
"It's a real pity that such a great restaurant can have its online reputation ruined by a group of trolls sporting 21st Century monocles," Aaron Schickling wrote in the restaurant's Google review. "This review system is set up to help others find a place to eat that has attentive staff, friendly and quick service, and quality food. Whether or not you can wear your Glass whilst dining is of no concern to anyone except other Glassholes."
Another person said that any restaurant that stands up to the "Google Glass bullies" deserves 1,000 stars.
"I love the idea of kicking out douchebags who wear google glass," Daniel Bonthius, who gave the restaurant four stars, wrote. "I've never dined here but I'm confident that if I did I would have a great experience."