A Subway franchise owner and political candidate was forced to defend a scathing Google review he wrote about a rival grocery store.
Queensland Liberal National Party businessman candidate Damian Culpeper gave One Mile Bakery in Ipswich a one-star review, complaining about the quality of the bread.
“Very average, well below what you would expect from a bakery,” said Mr Culpeper, although his verdict was far surpassed by the average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars given by other customers.
‘Dry, maybe yesterday’s bread. I don’t think the bread was fresh.
One Mile Bakery questioned whether Culpeper had visited the business, but declined to comment further.
“If people want to write nasty reviews, that’s fine,” one worker said.
But Labor has denounced Mr Culpeper’s mild criticism of baked goods because he proudly describes himself as a champion of small business and owns the Subway in Annerley, Brisbane.
‘He claims to be a fighter for small business, but denigrates a small, popular and long-established local institution. “The hard-working owners and staff of One Mile Bakery deserve an apology from Mr. Culpeper.”
He gave the bakery one star out of five for the food, service and atmosphere.
Subway Franchise Owner’s Scathing Review of Rival Bakery Has Backfired
In response to questions about the Google review, Culpeper would only attack Labor Prime Minister Steven Miles’ free school lunches policy.
“I’ve been in the lunch business for two decades,” Culpeper told Daily Mail Australia.
“But in all that time, only Steven Miles’ desperate, rancid school lunch program gets a one-star review.”
Graeme Hughes, a business professor at Griffith University, said unkind reviews, especially those written by a business rival, were more likely to backfire.
“Whether they’re trying to put someone out of business or something like that, it can certainly be used that way,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘If you’re making an unsolicited claim about a rival company and it can’t be substantiated, customers will notice.
“They are written in a tone or description that would probably not be in keeping with your own events or dealings, so you may not trust what is being said.”
Hughes said unkind reviews were often difficult to remove from Google Reviews, creating additional work for a small business that had been unfairly targeted.
“Because of the logistics and complications of dealing with a giant like Google, you can’t just call their call center and get through; it’s very difficult for businesses to navigate that pretty complex landscape,” he said.
While Ipswich is a safe Labor seat, the LNP claimed the neighboring electorate of Ipswich West by a huge swing of 17.8 per cent in the March by-election.
Culpeper is running for the seat of Ipswich in the Queensland election, which will be held on October 26.
His metro in Annerley, in Brisbane’s southern hinterland, is 35 kilometers from the electorate he seeks to represent.
While Ipswich is a safe Labor seat, the LNP won the neighboring electorate of Ipswich West by a huge swing of 17.8 per cent in the March by-election.
A similar swing rate could see Culpeper elected, while Labor would retain Ipswich with a margin of 16.5 per cent.
Labor has been in power since 2015 and Miles is expected to lose the next election as voters deny the ALP a fourth consecutive term, with Newspoll predicting an 8 per cent statewide swing against the government.