"Money Is Wasted" vs "I Know Your Home Address": What’s Behind Delivery App Reviews... Customer and Merchant Conflicts

Conflict Between Consumers and Business Owners Over Delivery App Star Ratings
"Flour Lump", "I Paid, So I'm Right" Controversy Over Some Customers' Harsh Reviews
"Curious About Their Face", "This Kind of Behavior" Business Owners' Overreaction Under Fire

On September 2nd last year, a delivery rider was walking with a motorcycle near the crosswalk by Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] "It's so bad I just can't eat it.", "If there's a problem, why don't you call me directly?"

Conflicts between consumers and business owners are deepening over star rating reviews on delivery applications (apps). Following reports of some consumers leaving harsh reviews for absurd reasons, controversy has escalated as some business owners have responded excessively to customer complaints. There have been cases where business owners accessed customers' order information and disclosed personal details such as home addresses, and even threatened, saying "I will come find you."

Delivery app reviews are star ratings and short evaluations posted for restaurants and other businesses registered on the app. This review information can significantly impact the actual sales of the business. For consumers searching for restaurants they want to use through delivery apps, reviews are the most intuitive standard to evaluate the quality of a business.

In particular, some delivery apps sort restaurant lists in order of highest average rating, making star rating reviews highly important from a promotional perspective.

A review of a delivery application (app) posted on an online community and the owner's response to it. / Photo by Online Community Capture

As a result, controversies over malicious reviews on delivery apps continue unabated. The number of cases where some consumers leave harsh reviews for absurd reasons is increasing. Recently, a controversy arose when a consumer left the lowest rating, saying, "It's the first time I've had a sandwich made with sliced bread."

In response, the business owner directly commented, "If not sliced bread, then what do you expect the sandwich to be made with?" The consumer replied, "I only remember eating sandwiches with focaccia, baguette, or sourdough, so since I pay for and eat the food, my memory is what matters," and criticized the owner by saying, "It seems like an inflexible style that doesn't engage in conversation."

One consumer posted a photo of tteokbokki rice cakes thrown into the sink and harshly reviewed, "It was really the worst. A lump of flour. Waste of money," drawing criticism for being excessive.

There were also posts harshly criticizing after throwing the ordered food into the sink. / Photo by Internet Community Capture

The problem of malicious reviews is not limited to consumers. Some business owners have also sparked controversy by responding with abusive language and threats during the review response process.

For example, recently, a porridge shop received a 4-star review with the comment, "I ordered porridge because I had severe laryngitis, but it was just so-so." The shop owner responded, "I worked 16 hours to make it, so if you feel that way, please order somewhere else," and added, "I hope you don't recover from your illness," which provoked public outrage online.

There have also been cases where business owners left replies that could be interpreted as threats, saying, "I know your home address." One owner responded to a customer's comment that the soup was too salty by saying, "I delivered there, so I know where it is," and added, "If there's a problem with our product, call and show it directly or report it. Why cowardly do this behind a keyboard?"

Another business owner said to a customer, "I will come, so I really want to see your face," and added, "If you don't want things to get worse, contact me or keep your intercom on."

Some business owners' 'overreactions' to star rating reviews have also come under scrutiny. / Photo by Internet Community Capture

As conflicts over star ratings between consumers and business owners grow, app developers are also making efforts to solve the problem by establishing new information systems to replace star ratings or by monitoring and deleting false reviews in real time.

'Naver' announced on the 23rd of last month that it will eliminate star ratings for places such as restaurants and cafes and introduce an AI-based evaluation system called 'Tag Cloud.' This system excludes specific evaluations or star ratings and instead introduces keywords about the business extracted by AI.

Major domestic delivery app service providers are actively managing star rating reviews. 'Baedal Minjok' has deleted a total of 62,000 false and malicious reviews from the start of its service in 2010 until April 2019.

'Yogiyo' has introduced technology that monitors and filters false and abusive reviews in real time using AI, strengthening sanctions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.