A McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania, where former President Donald Trump recently worked the fryer for a campaign photo-op, has been flooded with fake reviews on Yelp following the stunt. Yelp had to temporarily disable the review function for the restaurant in Feasterville, Bucks County, in response to the surge of reviews after Trump’s visit on Sunday.
In a statement to users, Yelp mentioned, “While we don’t take a stand one way or the other when it comes to this incident, we’ve temporarily disabled the posting of content to this page as we work to investigate whether the content you see here reflects actual consumer experiences rather than the recent events.” Prior to the review function being disabled, a variety of comments were posted, ranging from humorous observations to more serious political statements regarding the publicity stunt.
Some of the fake reviews included remarks like, ‘Got bronzer on my fries, didn’t wear gloves,’ and ‘The fries were too salty as if someone who lost a major election had been crying over them for an hour.’ Many criticised the restaurant for agreeing to the stunt and allowing a convicted felon to be involved in the operation.
While Trump supporters also left positive reviews praising the former president, Yelp has ensured that only authentic reviews from firsthand customers will be visible on the page once the activity decreases significantly.
The campaign visit to McDonald’s was part of Trump’s ongoing personal attacks against Kamala Harris, whom he baselessly claimed had never worked at the fast-food chain. In response, Harris clarified that she had worked at the restaurant for a summer during her college years. McDonald’s, in a memo to its employees, stated that it does not endorse political candidates and that franchise owners have the freedom to invite candidates while abiding by certain guidelines set by the company.
The incident at the Pennsylvania McDonald’s highlights the impact of political stunts on businesses and the importance of authentic customer reviews on platforms like Yelp.
Insights & Summary:
The story of the flood of fake reviews on Yelp for the McDonald’s branch where Donald Trump worked showcases the influence of political events on businesses. It underscores the importance of maintaining authenticity in online reviews and the risks businesses face when being involved in political publicity stunts. Businesses must be cautious and prepared to handle both positive and negative attention that may arise from such events. Authenticity and transparency remain key factors in maintaining consumer trust in today’s digital age.