A recently published paper by Bert De Reyck, Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University, together with co-authors Xingyi Li and Yiting Deng from the UCL School of Management and Puneet Manchanda from the University of Michigan, explores the impact of Michelin ratings on customer perceptions, using data from the Michelin Guide for Great Britain & Ireland and TripAdvisor reviews.
In “Can Lower(ed) Expert Opinions Lead to Better Consumer Ratings?: The Case of Michelin Stars”, Professor De Reyck and his collaborators show that gaining or losing a Michelin star does not necessarily improve or lower consumer review ratings as might be expected. In fact, they find that decreases in Michelin stars actually improve consumer review ratings.
These surprising findings suggest that restaurant managers and experience-based businesses should be aware of the nuanced impact that expert reviews can have on consumer perceptions.
The paper is published in the prestigious journal Management Science.
Can Lower(ed) Expert Opinions Lead to Better Consumer Ratings?: The Case of Michelin Stars by Xingyi Li, Yiting Deng, Puneet Manchanda, Bert De Reyck :: SSRN
