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Friday, February 15, 2008
Power Continues to Shift to the Consumer
Nothing to so with politics, but I discovered a really good new site called Ebuga.co.uk, which is a kind of social networking site for car enthusiasts. Its intention seems to be to build a massive database of car reviews which will inform a potential purchaser before they buy one. I mention it because it once again takes power out of the hands of big companies and into the hands of the consumer. TripAdviser is another site which has a similar effect. After having read the reviews of the Mayflower Hotel in Washington I booked in elsewhere!
Are there not enough adverts on this blog as it is?
ReplyDeletespot on - but the thing is to tell the hotel/restaurant what they are doing wrong and not just whingeing. I noticed a turnaround in a previously fine local eatery when comments on londoneating pointed out that the service and food had gone seriously south and named a few nearby competitors who were offering far better value.
ReplyDeleteFriends in the hospitality business tell me they read these reviews and note the criticism but dismiss the gratuitously offensive and/or people who complain about visiting London and having to pay £30/head+wine for a meal. Most hotels/restaurant owners are genuinely shocked when the realise they are candidates for a visit from Gordon Ramsay.
ref ebuga; for the UK, Parker's owners reviews are free plentiful and excellent.
ReplyDeleteref tory troll: the Diary does seem to be giving up politics just now.
ebuga - strange name (but so was ebay when that first emerged) promises to change the way folk buy cars. I like the way it weaves Web 2.0 and community.
ReplyDelete