The travel and food industries run on reputation. Whether it’s a hotel, restaurant, airline, or catering service, reviews online shape customer decisions and employee hiring.
Glassdoor is a major factor in that reputation. Potential employees check it before applying. A few bad reviews from ex-workers can scare off great hires.
But what happens when those reviews are unfair, exaggerated, or even fake? Travel and food businesses can’t afford to let false negativity linger. Here’s how they’re fighting back.
Why Glassdoor Reviews Matter in Hospitality
1. Employees Make or Break Guest Experiences
A hotel, airline, or restaurant is only as good as its staff.
Bad Glassdoor reviews online make hiring harder. If talented chefs, servers, housekeepers, or flight attendants see a flood of one-star reviews, they might look elsewhere.
2. Reputation Impacts Reservations & Bookings
Job seekers aren’t the only ones checking reviews. Travelers often Google a hotel, airline, or restaurant before booking.
If a business has a bad workplace reputation, it raises doubts about customer service.
Example: A resort with Glassdoor reviews saying “staff is underpaid and overworked” might make potential guests worry about poor service.
3. Seasonal Hiring Depends on a Good Reputation
Many travel and food industry businesses rely on seasonal workers. If Glassdoor is full of bad reviews online, recruiting for peak seasons becomes a nightmare.
A ski resort with one-star reviews about management issues will struggle to fill jobs before winter. A cruise line with bad employee ratings will lose qualified staff to competitors.
Where Do Bad Glassdoor Reviews Come From?
1. Disgruntled Former Employees
Not every former employee leaves a fair review. Some post out of anger, blaming the company for personal frustrations.
Example: A bartender gets fired for showing up late. They leave a review claiming “management is abusive and tips are stolen.”
The business can’t respond with personal details, so the bad review sticks.
2. Competitor Sabotage
The travel and food industries are fiercely competitive. Some businesses post fake reviews about rivals to make themselves look better.
Example: A competing restaurant chain floods Glassdoor with fake one-star reviews about a local spot, saying staff is treated terribly.
3. Unhappy Guests Pretending to Be Employees
Glassdoor is meant for employees, but some angry customers leave fake staff reviews.
Example: A hotel guest doesn’t get a free upgrade. They pretend to be an ex-employee, writing: “Management doesn’t care about workers or guests. Avoid this place.”
Can Travel & Food Businesses Remove Bad Glassdoor Reviews?
1. Reporting Fake or Unfair Reviews
Glassdoor allows businesses to flag reviews online that violate its guidelines.
Steps to Flag a Review:
- Log into your Glassdoor employer account.
- Find the false review.
- Click “Report” and choose a reason (False information, inappropriate content, etc.).
- Submit the request and wait for Glassdoor’s response.
Glassdoor doesn’t remove negative reviews unless they clearly break the rules.
2. Legal Action for Defamation
If a review contains proven lies that cause financial harm, businesses can take legal steps.
- Some hotels and restaurants send cease-and-desist letters to reviewers spreading false claims.
- In extreme cases, businesses sue for defamation to force removal.
But legal action can backfire, making businesses look defensive. Most companies focus on other strategies.
How Travel & Food Businesses Are Fighting Back
1. Encouraging More Positive Reviews
If only angry ex-employees leave reviews, the page looks worse than reality. The best fix? Balance it with real employee feedback.
- Encourage happy staff to share their experience.
- Send review reminders after staff appreciation events.
- Make it easy for employees to review without pressure.
More balanced reviews online make fake complaints stand out.
2. Responding to Bad Reviews Professionally
A strong response can weaken the impact of a bad review.
Bad Response Example:
“This review is fake. You were fired for a reason.”
Good Response Example:
“We appreciate all feedback. While we don’t believe this reflects our workplace, we are always working to improve. We encourage employees to bring concerns to management directly.”
A professional response protects the company’s image without arguing.
3. Improving Workplace Culture
Sometimes, bad reviews online expose real problems. Businesses that ignore feedback struggle to retain staff.
Successful travel and food businesses:
- Fix common complaints (staffing shortages, poor communication, etc.).
- Offer fair pay and benefits to reduce negative turnover.
- Train managers to handle issues before they become online rants.
A better work environment naturally leads to better reviews.
4. Using Reputation Management Services
For companies facing serious Glassdoor damage, hiring a content removal service can help.
These services:
- Suppress bad reviews online by improving search rankings.
- Push positive employer content higher on Google.
- Monitor review platforms for fake or misleading posts.
For major travel brands, reputation management is a long-term investment.
Final Takeaways
Bad Glassdoor reviews online hurt travel and food businesses in hiring, customer trust, and business deals. But companies can fight back.
- Flag fake or unfair reviews for removal.
- Encourage positive reviews to balance the page.
- Respond professionally to criticism instead of ignoring it.
- Fix real workplace issues to reduce negativity.
- Use reputation management strategies for long-term success.
In hospitality, a strong employer brand matters as much as guest reviews online. The best companies protect both.