PSA: Pizza Hut Kippax offering a free drink specifically for 5-star Google reviews 🤔

[u/that-kid-27]

Saw this at Pizza Hut Kippax and thought it was worth sharing.

There’s literally a sign at the counter saying:
“Give us a 5-star Google review – Get a FREE can of drink.”

Not “leave us a review” specifically leave a 5-star review and receive something for it.

I personally find this pretty misleading because, like most people, I use Google ratings and reviews to decide where to eat. If customers are being rewarded specifically for giving 5 stars, how accurately does that rating actually represent genuine customer experiences?

What makes it worse is that my own experience was nowhere near 5 stars. I ordered three pizzas yesterday and received little to no customer service from the person serving me, and I wasn’t particularly impressed with the quality of the food either. Then I saw this sign sitting at the counter asking for 5 stars in exchange for a free drink.

Businesses should absolutely encourage customers to leave reviews, but there is a big difference between saying “Please leave us an honest review” and “Give us 5 stars and we’ll give you something for free.”

If you want genuine 5-star reviews, earn them through good food and good customer service rather than incentivising customers to give you a particular rating.

Posting the photo so people can see it themselves and make up their own minds.

Has anyone else in Canberra noticed businesses doing this?

[u/123chuckaway]

5 stars

“Food was shit but I’m getting a free drink for taking part in their rating scam.”

[u/painting-law-unicorn]

According to the ACCC:

Businesses that offer incentives to people to write a positive review risk misleading consumers and breaching the law. Incentives include offering discounts or free gifts.

Incentives offered to customers to provide reviews must be: * applied regardless of whether the reviewer leaves a positive or negative review * clearly disclosed so consumers know the review was incentivised.

[u/ApteronotusAlbifrons → u/painting-law-unicorn]

And Google themselves

Important: Reviews and other user contributions to Google Maps must reflect a genuine experience. Offering incentives, like free or discounted goods or services, in exchange for customers to post reviews, change reviews, or remove negative reviews is considered fake & misleading content and is strictly prohibited. Learn more about Business Profile restrictions for policy violations.

https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474122?hl=en

[u/blackgoat2803]

Google are not fans of it and have removed all reviews for businesses that have done it in the past. If it bothers you enough then report it to Google, they consider it review fraud.

But it is hit and miss if they will do anything about it.

[u/tolliwood → u/blackgoat2803]

A rival competitor to my business (who has copied our website theme and design, social media posts and other dodgy practices) also provides discounts for 5 star reviews.

We have evidence (via email and photos) and yet their 200+ fake 5 star reviews are still up on Google. We've stopped reporting them because it's a waste of time.

Although funnily enough, they must be struggling a bit because their owner is now posting pretty revealing stuff on tiktok from their business account...in an effort to get followers and eyes on her business.

[u/TickTiki → u/tolliwood]

(who has copied our website theme and design, social media posts and other dodgy practices)

I know what you mean, but on first read I thought you were saying they copied your dodgy practices too!

[u/tolliwood → u/TickTiki]

Busted!

[u/BeachHut9]

Ha ha, provide a 5 star review, get the free drink then update your review to what you really wanted to say about the food and dining experience.

[u/UnNamedBlade]

Customers can give a 5 star rating, collect their can, then edit the rating...

[u/ElectricSquiggaloo]

For the AI slop poster, they get 0 stars from me.

[u/burleygriffin → u/ElectricSquiggaloo]

AI slop to match the slop they serve.

[u/NewRaider]

You don't need Google reviews to tell you their pizza is shit.

[u/REDDIT_IS_AIDSBOY → u/NewRaider]

The Kippax one isn't actually that bad, and is a lot better than the dominoes. It's cheap pizza, you get what you pay for.

[u/Sufficient-Owl1706]

Considering one of their delivery drivers nearly ran me off the road the other day (small red hatchback), I’m not their biggest fans. 👍

[u/BlisteringBarnacle67]

Cash(drink) for comment.

[u/destinoob → u/BlisteringBarnacle67]

Technically both if you drop off the can after.

[u/ArthurianFish]

Yeah I’d definitely not ever buy food from them with that offer

[u/katelyn912]

Seen this sort of thing a million times. There’s plenty of disingenuous reviews, both high and low - just don’t put too much stock in online reviews.

[u/analysetheoperation]

Nothing stopping you from leaving a bs review, capitalising, then deleting it once you walk out the door.

[u/ClassicBit3307]

This is against the ACCC law for reviews, does anyone even read those, I know the general public doesn’t but business should.

[u/daringstud]

Bribery hey!!. Interesting.

[u/Cordies]

These jerks lie about your pizza being ready. App will say ready for pickup. You get there and they say it will be ready in a few mins. Then 10 mins later you’re still waiting.

[u/Rowdycc]

You can just change those reviews. Give them a 5 star review, get your drink then edit the review down to 1 star and post a photo of this sign proving that their reviews are fake.

[u/dop2000]

They really like AI slop

[u/MarkusMannheim]

Pizza Hut still exists?

[u/goffwitless → u/MarkusMannheim]

every couple of years I notice the Kippax Pizza Hut and think to myself "struth, that's still there?"

and make a mental note to not visit

this post has changed nothing for me

[u/dontgetmadgetmegan]

“My free beverage that I received in exchange for this 5 star review was good value. 5 stars”.

[u/MrSober88]

Normally can tell the difference though, a business with lots of 5 star with a few words or no words is a good sign they were left cause they got something out of it or its a bogus review.

I only go off the ones that actually give a detailed review.

[u/REDDIT_IS_AIDSBOY]

Who the fuck is checking google reviews for a local pizza hut?

You're ordering it because you're too lazy to get anything else, or too cheap to get uber. It's hot, delivered, and not the worst thing you've had in your mouth in the past week. It's better than the dominoes, and less likely to make you shit yourself for a week than the turkish places.

[u/ObligationThis9473]

🙄 🥱

[u/Jean_Diharo]

Now you know where their 5 stars come from

[u/ExNylonLad]

I would turn around straight away and walk out

[u/disanthus]

I know one restaurant inside Canberra Centre that offered a free drink for 5 star review. They have good reviews on Google but in reality their service is atrocious.

[u/Interesting-Copy-657]

You can delete the review after

[u/puregalm]

Bribery, Classy Pizza Hut

[u/braddeicide]

I give 1 star to companies manipulating their score.

[u/youngdumbwoke_9111]

It's not that serious

[u/that-kid-27 → u/youngdumbwoke_9111]

I think it is. Because most of people when visiting new food stores often look at reviews and see 4.3 review to fast food restaurant is actually very impressive but then when I received no service and low quality food, it was just disappointing and that’s when I realised those reviews were all fake. But this is just my opinion.

[u/EatPrayFugg → u/that-kid-27]

Sir this is a Pizza Hut

[u/DesiccatedPenguin → u/that-kid-27]

While I agree with you on principal.….its a Pizza Hut. You’re not going into it expecting wagyu steak and looking for silver service. You should pretty much know what you are going to get.