'AITA for refusing to take down a 'bad' review for a small business?'

"AITA for refusing to take down a 'bad' review for a small business?"

Recently my friends and I went to a local art studio/co-op that offers group lessons. We were there for a ceramics class. The vibe I got was that the studio charges a premium for the classes and it’s mainly it’s a way to keep the lights on for the business.

The lesson went great, our instructor was really helpful, and we all had a great time making our items. Then we got to the end and it was time to clean up. We fully expected to help out and wipe down our stations and clean our tools. We didn’t expect to be mopping the floors (which were already covered in clay when we came in) and wiping down stations that our group hadn’t touched.

The instructor’s version of “helping” was to walk around and hand us a sponge or mop and pointing out spots we missed. After we picked up our pieces a few weeks later I posted a review that I thought was honest and fair. I said we’d had so much fun, that our instructor was great, but that I probably wouldn’t be back based on the level of cleaning we’d been asked to do, 3 stars.

The business owner contacted me and asked me to take down my review because it could scare people off. I asked if the amount of cleaning we were asked to do was normal. She said it was and that it was all part of being in the community of the studio.

I said that the people who sign up for this one time class were not members of her studio community and I felt that the review was accurate. She said that I was being unreasonable and that I just didn’t understand the way this type of studio functioned, and that I needed to take it down. I told her I would not be doing that.

I mentioned the situation to a couple of the people I went to the studio with and one of them said it would be the “kind” thing to take down the review. I think it’s better to be kind to potential customers and let them know what they’re getting themselves into.

Here's what people had to say to OP:

emryldmyst said:

NTA. I belonged to an art co op. She was being lazy and kinda played you. Your review was honest and you shouldn't take it down.

MariaInconnu said:

I could see having you clean your own work station as learning good throwing hygiene, but they had you pay for the privilege of doing janitorial work.

solardune said:

NTA. It's an honest review. 'Nuff said.

Top-Industry-7051 said:

NTA. You told the truth. You gave them a chance to say it was a mistake and they would review their procedures. They stuck to their procedures despite apparently knowing customers won't like them. Your review remains truthful and accurate which is what review is supposed to be.

EveningSufficient636 said:

NTA I would want to know before signing up for a class if I was going to have to mop! This is literally what reviews are for.

Puzzleheaded-Cup-854 said:

NTA. What I dint understand is the community. If the community cleans everything including with a mop and other stations, why wasn't it that clean when you got there? I should lower the reading based on the lies of the owner to 2 starts.