Ask HN: Analyzing the behavior of Google Maps reviewers

[loyai]

I'm exploring a software solution for restaurant and cafe owners that helps them better understand the people who leave reviews on their Google Maps places.

Imagine you're a restaurant owner, the goal is to analyze the reviewers other activity, such as whether they've reviewed your competitors, their average spending range, and their favorite types of dishes and more, all based on their reviews in other places in general. This would give you a more complete picture of who they are.

Do you think this kind of insight would be useful?

Do you even consider people who leave Google Maps reviews to be actual customers? And would having detailed information about them help you make more informed business decisions?

Would love to hear your take on this

[is_true]

I know a shop owner and he will tell you that unhappy customers are overrepresented.

He had a problem with someone and half his friends and family left bad reviews that were fake. The worst part is he didn't want to sell something to that person because the product had a problem but that person thought he didn't want to sell to him and got mad.

[solardev]

If it's truly that bad, how come there are so many places with 4 and 5 star reviews? It's really rare to see something with 3 or fewer stars.

[is_true]

Not my experience. It might depend on where you live. I'm also not sure if places with bad reviews are shown or at which zoom level they are shwon

[loyai]

That is an interesting take.. sad that people would do this and crush someone's reviews

[solardev]

I think that's against the terms of use of the Google Maps APIs, FYI. You'd have to scrape their pages and risk Google's wrath.

[AStonesThrow]

Yes; as an active Local Guide, I sincerely hope & pray that OP is sued/banned/canceled into oblivion, and I further request that their code dies in a fire.

You’re essentially describing a cyber-stalking SaaS. Do you reside in the United States?

[loyai]

Wow, such a wild comment from someone who can't understand that every place owner can see all your reviews if they're public just by clicking on your profile picture! You being a local guide and not knowing this is wild, I wonder what reviews you wrote having this mentality lol

[AStonesThrow]

Enjoying access through Google's own interface vs. third-party attempts to scrape stuff and process it, is quite different, my friend.

Yes, I'm aware of public reviews. No, that's not what this OP is proposing.

You'd never get off the ground in the E.U. their data protection officers would chew you up and spit you out Google probably sells everything to advertising partners anyway, why not just partner with them, and pay to play, like a normal capitalist crook?

[brudgers]

Do you think this kind of insight would be useful?

Go and ask restaurant owners. They are your potential customers.

Or better yet, ask them what their problems are and work on those.

The best likely outcome is you gain experience trying to talk to potential customers. Some experience acting instead of imagining. Good luck.

[jfil]

I second this. Also, I heard that restaurant businesses are always very tight with cash. The kind of service you described sounds like a "nice to have" that they can live without.