Honesty is one of the most important things when doing a food review as potential customers will know what to expect from a certain place. While a paid review may be common nowadays, a UK content creator who is based in Malaysia made it clear that he will not lie about the review, regardless of how much he’s offered.
Rhys William, who is also a food vlogger has been creating content about food for more than 6 years now, and in between, he has received many offers to do paid reviews.
Rhys recently shared his experience at a restaurant in Malaysia he went to where the food preparation process totally put him off. According to him the restaurant lacked hygiene too.
Rhys, who speaks fluent BM did not disclose the name and the location of the restaurant, but he said that the owners have been asking many celebrities and influencers for paid reviews over the years. Rhys, in holding to his principles, decided not to return to the restaurant or make any reviews following his experience.
The restaurant owners, however, did not give up and continued to persuade Rhys to do a paid review for them, despite him constantly rejecting the request by saying he is busy. But Rhys lost his patience when the restaurant offered him more money.
“Just tell me how much you want. We can pay you, as long as you come here”, the restaurant told Rhys.
The question irritated and pissed him off, and Rhys said that he will not lie about his review just because he is offered a lot of money.
“What about the audience who come to your shop after watching my video? What happens when they see your dirty kitchen?”
Spend your money instead on improving your restaurant
Rhys said that instead of spending thousands on paid reviews, the restaurant should spend more on good-quality ingredients to improve the menu and the shop in general.
“The word ‘delicious’ is subjective, but cleanliness is not because it has standards.”
He also said that throughout his career, he has always stuck to his one principle:
“If I’m not a fan of that restaurant or if I know I’m not going back there, I’m not going to review and promote the place.”
You can watch and listen to his full clip below, which was shared on his Facebook page Mat Salleh Cari Makan.
Pengalaman TAK BEST Review Makan ??
Ada sesetengah benda kita dah lama peram, jadi saja saya kongsikan hari ni pengalaman saya.Harap semua dapat ambil iktibar dan pandang mesej yang saya nak sampaikan dari sudut positif. ?Maaf terlebih dahulu kepada mana-mana pihak yang tersinggung. ?? Anggaplah ini pengajaran agar kita semua perbaiki untuk masa akan datang.
Posted by Mat Salleh Cari Makan on Monday, February 6, 2023
To quote Rhys, “delicious” is subjective as everyone has different tastes and preferences. However, it is important to be honest and be yourself throughout all your reviews not only to build a good reputation but also to secure your followers who rely on your words.