Owner Of Donut Shop Gets 1-Star Review On Internet Because Of Homeless Man Sitting Outside

Jan 08, 2020 by apost team

Businesses thrive and survive based on both repeat business and drawing in new customers. The owners rely on their customers writing good reviews, so new patrons choose to make a purchase. Unfair bad reviews, however, create problems. Nothing is worse than losing money due to a harsh rating left out of malice. Such things happen, sadly, and there are few solutions to this.

Brad Keiller runs an eatery in San Diego called Nomad Donuts. Scores of people enjoy ordering coffee and sweets from this beloved local establishment. Ray Taylor is one person who appreciates the Nomad Donuts shop. Ray's a homeless man who spends much time in front of the shop, reports The San Diego Union-Tribune. Ray's presence in front of the donut shop didn't bother anyone, especially the owner. Brad felt compassion for the man. Unfortunately, not everyone else shared the same sensibility.

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To his shock and dismay, Brad discovered someone left them a one-star review on Yelp, the popular review site. Yelp reviews are often the first thing people see when they search for a company on the Internet. A poor review can hurt a business immensely. What makes the poor review Brad received so troubling is the reviewer complained about Ray's presence near the donut shop.

Brad told The San Diego Union-Tribune that he thought long and hard about how to respond to the negative review, but decided to do so professionally. He pointed out that Ray is a good man who fell on hard times. A combination of financial struggles and medical issues forced him into the situation he is in. Brad stated he might lose some people's business because Ray lives in front of the shop, but Brad doesn't care. Ray is welcome to stay by the Nomad Donuts shop as long as he wishes.

Brad's response to the Yelp review eventually went viral. And the support from the public poured forth. People saw Brad as a good guy whose business didn't deserve the unfair criticism. Ray also felt moved by the outpouring of public support. Ironically, the negative review helped boost business at Nomad Donuts, and deservedly so.

More importantly, the story raised awareness about the plight of the homeless. It also put a human face on someone struggling every day. Maybe Ray will get some assistance from the public soon.

How about keeping this beautiful story going in a viral direction? A lot of good can come from raising its profile, and the story will make people feel good after reading it.