Yes, we have been getting more and more leads from them due to the great reviews we have.  Note: we have not paid a dime.

I got a review and they refuse to make it valid.  It was actually a buyer and they flat out refused to make it valid and show.  I hate them

Oh heck NO.

NEVER.  I won't use a site I have not control over.

Carla Muss-Jacobs, Principal Broker/Owner refers to YELP the sound a dog makes ...

I have not used it.

I've left reviews a few times

I use them as a restaurant guide

Good morning Michael. I do not use it, other than leaving reviews for restaurants and lodging.

I have claimed my business account. I have 5 good reviews showing up... thankfully! In my market, the most anybody has is less than 20, so I am thinking that it might be good to stand out as a top guy in the area. A competetor is paying for ad space and comes up all the time when I search for myself. Even though you cant control what someone writes... you can answer or comment on the post.

Michael - I have put my info on Yelp for free. Not sure it is doing anything for me, but at least it is there if anyone searches.

I HATE that site. And small business owners better be careful when they "claim" their business.  I wish I had 20/20 hindsight when I did back in 2011.  I didn't show a house to an UNKNOWN male caller.  I had just toured over 12 properties with my client and got a call when I was headed back to the office.  The caller wanted me to show him a home and not only did I have no clue what property he was calling about, he wasn't pre-approved, hadn't been to a lender, wasn't paying cash.  I offered to set up a consult with him to go over the home buying process and he refused that offer.  Then insulted me when he realized I wasn't going to accommodate his request, and show him the property that afternoon.   I had NO OBLIGATION to show him anything.  He was an unknown person to me.   He got really nasty, hung up and then wrote me up on his Yelp! -- the sounds the dog makes when you step on it -- review.  I tried to DELETE my account  . . . and then my enlightenment began.   They commandered my business account and said that it's THEIR "business account" and they would not remove my business.

Once they have a small business owner claim their business, the small busines owner can NEVER UNCLAIM IT.

I'm sure if they "allowed" small business owners to remove their accounts, they would show hundreds of businesses leaving on a daily basis . . . that's no good if you want to appease your stock holders/share holders with inflatted numbers.

AND Yelp -- the sound the dog makes when you step on it -- runs COMPETITOR ADS throughout the business page of my company!!

They LOVE companies that have BAD REVIEWS -- because the general public loves to READ BAD NEWS!!  They thrive on it.   This is a screen cap of my site, that YELP -- the sound the dogs makes when you step on it -- refuses to delete.  They run ads through it . . . and they are on a rotating basis.  I have over 25 screen caps of area businesses who are paying Yelp -- the sounds the dog makes when you step on it -- to run "ADS" -- through my site.

Talk about your UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES . . . but no one cares.  

I have complained to the Attorney General in Oregon, to PMAR (Portland Metropolitan Area Realtors -- NAR's local board), etc. etc.  They do nothing.  So let's all bow down to YELP! -- the sound the dog makes when you step on it -- and lose business from their tactics.  I know I have!

Of course, if I PAID for advertising they would make it all go away.  That's what their sells rep told me when he called me on Dec. 9, 2015 from (415) 266-3438.  I took notes!  Jeremy (who refused to give me his last name) said that if I was a paying member, then I could stop them from adversting other businesses on my site, and I would be able to make bad reviews go away.

I do NOT deal with extortionists.   I lose business from this, I'm sure, but I will not pay one penny to a company that RUNS COMPETITORS' AD through my business page -- that they refuse to delete. 

The reason I don't post about this is because I would prefer NOT having people click on Yelp -- the sounds the dogs make when you step on them -- and run over to their site and click on it . . . so go ahead and BOOST their numbers on the business they have stolen from me, and are making money off of the NEGATIVE!  READ ALL ABOUT IT!!  Two idiots weren't shown properties in 2011 . . . and pounded out their spews.

It's HARD ENOUGH to make it as a real estate agent -- as an Exclusive Buyers Agent -- when I don't take listings.  But Yelp -- the sound the dog makes when you step on it -- has really hurt my small business.

And that's the United States of America business model for you . . . I suppose.  Screw the other guy/gal and make money off them in the process. 

What bothers me the most is that there are people working for them who don't see a problem with this at all.  The Jeremy guy who called me didn't have any problem with his company (All HAIL) running COMPETITORS ads through my business page . . . which they stole from me!  His solution:  PAY FOR AN ACCOUNT . . . and I'll make it all go away!

LOVELY!  

Thanks Kathleen Daniels for bringing this quesion to my attention.

I have a profile on Yelp, and have used them for references for restaurants and/or services. 

TeamChi - Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - Yelp is something where we cannot invite anyone for testimonials (to best of my knowledge) and that's the difference between Yelp and other platforms.

I think I looked up a restaurant on it once or twice but that is all.

I have a yelp profile.  Within a day of creating it, I had a yelp person calling to sell me advertising.  "Tell me Mr. Yelp guy, if I have zero reviews, what is the point of advertising?"  You'd be surprised how quickly they go "Darn, he CAN THINK!  Move on to someone else!!!"

On the use side, yes I use it.  I used it to pick my lasik doctor and build up my courage to even consider the procedure.  Best surgery I've ever had!!

I use it as a consumer all of the time and love it.  It's good for restaurants and hotels when we're traveling. I have also left reviews. 

I would think for an inspector it would be excellent.  I use for drain line, pool, sprinkler, window cleaners ect.  That way when the client asks for a referral I forward them the link and the client can read the reviews and decide for themselves.

Yes, I have a Yelp presence.  It's another avenue to be found online.  So far no problems.

I've not used it.....there are only so many hours in a day....

Yes- I do review on Yelp.  And I read review on Yelp!

Not a fan of Yelp.  A dog yelps when you accidently step on its tail.  Here, at least, the reviews are mostly negative, especially when it comes to restaurants, the main thing people tend to use it for. 

I have used it to read reviews for companies I am considering.  I read try to read several reviews, though, and not put too much stock into one or two bad reviews.  

Michael,

Personally, I don't like them, and Noah Seidenberg wrote about his experience on Yelp.  You may want to ask him.  A

Yes & when someone needs input or feedback to make a decision..Yelp helps!

Only for food reviews.

It's not for me.  

Michael,
Like others I will give it a glance for a place to eat, etc. but I won’t spend money to advertise there.

TeamChi - Complete Home Inspections, Inc. I've never intentionally used Yelp other than coming across it when searching for a business location or telephone number. I don't think you have to take the comments with a grain of salt. People have a tendency to gripe about anything.

For RE I avoid of using it. It is either posted yourself or frieds or someone mad at some agent: "DO not hire Jane Doe, she is an As* Can".

Even restaurants hire professional blogger to exaggate their service according to an investigation.

Only thing I use Yelp for is  a restaurant guide.

We have a Yelp account, but do not utilize it due to some poor reports from others here in the Rain.

I havent and not sure i want to. Not sure i believe what i read on the web always and afraid it may hurt more than help

That is like going to "Angie's List to find someone to fix something; not a fan!

Testimonials would be what I want.

Michael, have not used social media to attract business.

I avoid sites where they hold you hostage for fake reviews.

I have a profile on Yelp, but that's about it. I have used it to critique other businesses.