Influence of Incentives on Reviews

The practice of offering free incentives, such as desserts or fruit juice, in exchange for positive reviews has become common in restaurants, particularly in China. This encourages customers to leave inflated ratings, complicating the integrity of review platforms. As a result, potential diners may struggle to distinguish between restaurants that genuinely offer quality service and those that manipulate their ratings. This system creates an environment where honest reviews are overshadowed by artificially promoted positivity due to consumer incentives.