3.5 on Yelp is the New Gold Standard

I’ve had a few experiences staying at five-star hotels and eating at five-star restaurants. You expect the best and you usually get it.
The Jefferson Hotel is a AAA 5-Diamond Hotel and its flagship restaurant LeMaire is a five-star dining establishment. I’ve been a customer of both and I can honestly say they deliver a five-star experience. Excellent. 5+ stars.
Businesses have always had third-party reviews and ratings; from AAA to Zagat Surveys. Even the BBB can tell you if a business is accredited and reputable. Ratings used to have a stringent set of standards and were delivered by professionals. In the old days, reviews were done by food and travel reporters from reputable newspapers or magazines or organizations you trusted.
The Internet ruined this. Everyone, literally everyone, can go online and say anything about any company, without credibility or expertise. Twenty years ago in 2004, something wickedly terrible was invented called Yelp. The Jefferson is rated 4.2 on Yelp. Lemaire gets a 4.1. #ridiculous
Yelp is an advertising company that allows the public to post reviews, often anonymously, of any business. So that means William R. from San Francisco can post a one-star review of the Jefferson Hotel:
“My wife and I stayed at the Jefferson a few days ago; the building was clean and the room was clean. We asked to have (a) reservation to eat at the Tobacco Company. When we got to the Tobacco no reservation. We will never go back.”
In his rant, William R. takes a simple mistake by the concierge or the hostess at Tobacco Company and impugns the five-star reputation of The Jefferson. It’s not fair is it? Yelp then posts the review and then pressures the Jefferson Hotel to buy ads. That doesn’t seem fair either. (Yelp has been sued many times for this, including most recently by the Attorney General of Texas.)
So that’s why I’m always willing to try a 3.5 rated restaurant on Yelp. It usually means the food, price, and service is good, but they’ve been smacked down by a few holier-than-thou Yelpers and by Yelp itself because they didn’t “pay to play.”
By the way, the Texas Inn is rated 4.1 on Yelp, same as LeMaire and we are extremely proud of this, despite Traci C.’s review: “I called at 1:35 am to see what time they were open until. A woman told me 2:30 am. I got there at 2:10 and the door was locked. Someone outside yelled in “they called and said you were open” and the woman inside just laughed and shrugged her shoulders and didn’t let us in.”
When I read the review, I also laughed, imagining Big Mama laughing at a drunk customer trying to come in 10 minutes after we closed.
MONDAY:
HEADED FOR HEALTH
We were proud to work with the Virginia Department of Health again to create signs for the upcoming Monument 10K, that hits the pavement April 20 here in Richmond. We included plenty of silly puns and our creative team created multiple fun options – we love the chance to help do good in the community with our clients. Keep an eye out on race day for more signs – and folks from the Virginia Department of Health will be there to keep folks up to date on how to care for their health and help cheer on the runners. Stop by and say hi!

TUESDAY:
PRESS PLAY!
What wouldn’t we do for our clients? Communications Director Kent Brockwell and Copywriter Lauren McKinney informally recorded some radio ads this week in-office so a client could get a feel for the ad script and direction before beginning production. And stay tuned — literally! — to hear what we’re working on.
WEDNESDAY:
OUR FAVORITE GIRL GROUP
Wednesday, our elite leading ladies at Madison+Main took some time to connect and collaborate in person (well, if you count the cut-out of our President/COO Molly Whitfield, and we definitely do.) While it’d be easy to just say it’s a good time of “girl talk”, their regroup together helps everything from operations to new business flow more cohesively.

THURSDAY:
M+M TAKES CHURCH HILL
On Thursday, our Accounts team took some time to connect and enjoy the city! With a guide from Discover Richmond Tours, the crew experienced Church Hill’s best offerings. The lineup included 8 1/2, Second Bottle, Proper Pie, Liberty Public House, and ended with Spotty Dog Ice Cream. Special thanks to an awesome and knowledgeable tour guide, Taylor!

FRIDAY:
WHATS IN YOUR WEEKEND
I wrapped the workweek by taking a brief break from prepping the new Texas Inn location, and joining John Reid on-air to talk about what’s happening in the city this weekend.
The Bizarre Bazaar is back for their 32nd spring market, at the Richmond Raceway Complex. Pick up a totally unique gift or new favorite item from their hundreds of creative vendors. Snag a ticket here!
Jeffrey Osborne is bringing classic soul to town this weekend and tickets for his show at the Richmond Convention Center are still available.
There’s more coming up, including Richmond Restaurant Week! Listen to the full spot here and plan your weekend in RVA.
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS

RETURNING CITIZEN CAREER & WELLNESS FAIR
Date: April 13, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: 5833 Poplar Hall Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502
Returning Citizen Career & Wellness Fair
In honor of National Second Chance Month, the Urban League of Hampton Roads partners with the Office of Attorney General and Revive Community of Virginia to help returning citizens in the Hampton Roads area with a second chance in having a career.
Join us to meet employers providing second chances and receive additional resources available for career readiness.
“Real life is like a constant Yelp review, everyone has notes on how the experience could be improved.“ — Abbi Jacobson