Leery diners no longer st when choosing where to

promotional material to boost online ratings.

Zhang Yuan, a frequent diner, told Shanghai Daily: “I was often offered a free dessert for a 50-word positive review. It wasn’t much effort, so I obliged and received a mango dessert.”

In addition to offering freebies for reviews, some businesses have directly purchased fake comments. On the Tmall online shopping platform, there are many services offering “gold medal management,” “expert reviews” and “one-stop shop for hosted operations.”

Tactics even include posting negative reviews on competitors. A review management team, specializing in Meituan and Dianping operations, claims to be a professional group that helps businesses climb the “hot list” rankings, thereby increasing customer traffic and takeout orders.

“More than 90 percent of our clients will renew our services,” said a member of the team.

Chinese food industry analyst Zhu Danpeng said such deceptive tactics to boost ratings is not a sustainable path for the restaurant industry.

She noted that quality, reputation and customer experience, which encompass factors like ingredients, taste and service, should be the focus of reputable restaurant management.

“Regardless of marketing efforts or high ratings, if quality is subpar, consumers will vote with their feet and not return,” Zhu said.

Several examples serve to illustrate her point. A small eatery in northeast China’s Harbin, which hosts an annual ice sculpture festival every winter, is impressing visitors with exceptional food at reasonable prices, rather than by any digital skulduggery.

Its owner, known for his blunt manner, said he attracts a steady stream of locals and tourists by serving them tasty meals at affordable prices.

In central China’s Hubei Province, Tian Tian Wang Restaurant has been catering to visitors for 36 years. Despite lower ratings on popular apps, it enjoys a steady stream of patrons.

“Our foray into online promotions proved counterproductive, diverting our focus from culinary excellence and reputation building,” the restaurant owner, surnamed Luo, told Tide News.

Fu Lei, an attorney with Beijing Yingke Law Firm, pointed out potential legal violations in manipulating online reviews.

“Such deceitful practices could infringe on China’s