About this episode

The episode discusses how George Washington's travel experiences led to the concept of user reviews in modern peer-to-peer services.

When America’s first president set off to tour his new country, he had no idea where to stay. George Washington slept in some taverns he described as dirty and grim, but also stayed at some delightful inns. In the 1790s, there was no way for travellers to share tips on the nice places to sleep and those to avoid.  Fast forward to today and the rise of peer-to-peer services where we book a car ride, rent a vacation home or bid in an online auction, and the same trust problem occurs. How do we know we can rely on a vendor we’ve never met? And how can we praise good customer service with a glowing recommendation? That's why the user review was created. Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Pushkin Industries

Topics covered

• user reviews
• travel
• taverns
• customer service
• peer-to-peer services

Keywords

• George Washington
• taverns
• user review
• travel tips
• customer service

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