In a case of extreme measure, the owner of ramen shop Toyojiro, in Kyoto, Japan, put a bounty of 100,000 yen (R58,000) on Instagram to hunt down two male customers who left him a one-star review. He also threatened them with a nasty comment: “I’ll deal with you.” The comment was later pulled down after it was received with harsh criticism.

The era of online reviews in India kickstarted when social media forums and travel websites offered a platform for users to voice their opinions. Over time, review systems were formalised and customers began to rely on them to make their decision — to buy a product, visit a restaurant or take a holiday. For the hospitality industry, the practice of handing out customers feedback forms was an old tradition of taking feedback.