801 - Reading Online Reviews

I give this episode five out of five stars for explaining about online reviews. Listen and decide for yourself.
Slow dialogue: 1:19
Explanations: 3:26
Fast dialogue: 16:00
Marisa: When we go to our favorite vacation spot in two months, let’s stay at a different hotel.
Oscar: I like the hotel we always stay at. It’s in a convenient location and we’re already familiar with it.
Marisa: That’s just it. It’s tried and true, but there’s no novelty and excitement in staying in the same place year after year.
Oscar: I don’t need novelty.
Marisa: Let’s just consider some of these other hotels I’ve been reading about. They are very highly ranked and their ratings are very good.
Oscar: You’re putting strangers’ reviews above our own experience?
Marisa: Of course not, but just look at this hotel. It received three stars out of four, and it has a lot of pros.
Oscar: Let me see that. It also has some cons, such as being noisy and pricy.
Marisa: Okay, maybe that isn’t the best example. I didn’t notice that they got dinged on those things, but let’s look at a few others.
Oscar: I’ll keep an open mind, but I’m dubious about online reviews. I take everything I read with a grain of salt. The only people who post reviews are those who love it or hate it.
Marisa: I’ll just find a hotel that everyone loves.
Oscar: And that doesn’t break the bank?
Marisa: Right.
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse