Instagram influencers have thousands of followers but should they always receive free perks?
An Instagram influencer’s review went viral on the Reddit thread r/ChoosingBeggars for all the wrong reasons. Like most influencers with glamorous lives, she dined in an Italian restaurant and received the “best Italian food”.
She told the manager that she was an influencer with 11,000 thousand followers. Unfortunately, that did not result in a discount so she gave the restaurant a 1-star rating.
Let’s break down her scathing review.
The anonymous influencer declared that she gave the Italian restaurant a 1-star because of its cheap management and customer service.
She discovered the restaurant through word-of-mouth so she had a date with her boyfriend there. They enjoyed delicious calamari, spaghetti alle vongole and gnocchi.
When the manager came, she said that they were some of the best Italian food that she’s ever had.
She told the manager,
I’m going to post about it on Instagram where I have over 11 thousand followers.
The manager was thrilled to receive her praise.
The trouble began once she received her bill.
She thought that the manager would be grateful for her free advertising. Unfortunately, her expectations didn’t align with reality.
She writes,
when the check came there was no discount.
She believed that entrees like the calamari or drinks would be taken off her bill in exchange for a positive review.
Since she didn’t receive a discount, she said she would not return to the restaurant. While the food was very good, it’s a shame it didn’t come with free perks.
The ‘entitled’ reviewer thought that the manager needs to understand how to treat customers.
Businesses often sponsor influencers that can create promotional content and advertisements for their brand. High-quality social media posts can involve a lot of hard work and we admire the dedication and creativity of some of these professionals.
While influencers can be influential, should they always get free perks? Should influencers casually declare that they have thousands of followers in exchange for a positive review?
We love to find great restaurant recommendations on social media but this shouldn’t always come with strings attached.
Should the influencer receive free food? Or should the restaurant receive free customer service? Let us know in the comments.
Featured image from Eatbook. Do note that the cover picture is for illustration purposes only.
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