Most probably you have already heard about ‘Are you being served Malta?’. For those that still have not heard, ‘Are you being served?’ is the name of multiple Facebook groups that cater for the Maltese Islands. There are various ‘Are you being served?’ Facebook groups with a few of these being some of the most popular online communities for the Maltese islands. Some of these groups are made up by a significant portion of Malta’s population.
What is the purpose of ‘are you being served’?
These ‘are you being served?’ Facebook groups serve the local community in many ways. The first way is that of informing users what businesses are reliable and trustworthy to work with. This is done as users within the same groups continuously leave reviews about their experiences with different businesses. The second way the local community is served is by recommending businesses that provide a specific product or service. Any user can anytime ask for businesses that provide a specific product or service. Other users would reply by mentioning businesses that would provide a specific product or fulfil a specific service.
About ‘Are you being served Malta?’
In the early days, the concept of ‘are being served?’ groups was very new but people got used to them at a rapid pace. Most of these groups accept users to join manually. These Facebook groups are free to join and allow the active participation of their members. They are typically moderated by a group of people that includes the founder or founders of the group. Members of such groups are typically asked to discuss their concerns with a representative of a business before posting any negative feedback about businesses.
The rise of ‘Are you being served’
‘Are you being served Malta?’ Facebook groups have grown significantly in popularity over the years. A testament of this is both the number of such Facebook groups that exist and the number of users that form part of such groups. Businesses have also contributed to the growth of such groups through their active participation within them. They participate both by promoting themselves and by following up on feedback that is published about them.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of ‘Are you being served’
In essence these Facebook groups are good as they provide a very useful service for free. The bad is that these groups attract a lot of negative feedback about businesses, several times without even confronting the actual business before going public with a negative comment. Unfortunately, whilst we are sure that many users are satisfied by businesses, positive feedback is shared less often. The ugly is when feedback is not constructive, and the outcome of a dispute is negative rather than positive.
Useful tips for ‘are you being served?’ members
Members of ‘are you being served Malta?’ groups should always read the rules of the specific group and participate in a way where they comply to those rules. In addition to simply following the rules, members should always reflect before venting their frustration. They must be fair both with the businesses and with the other group members.
The origin of ‘Are you being served?’ Facebook groups
Whilst we are not sure how the concept of ‘Are you being served?’ groups originated we tend to believe that a TV show inspired their launch. ‘Are you being served?’ is a popular British TV show that was produced in the 1970’s. It lasted 10 seasons and is made up by 70 episodes. It was originally broadcasted on BBC one.
Most popular ‘Are you being served?’ Facebook Groups
There are two ‘Are you being served?’ Facebook groups that are by far the most popular. At present both groups boast over 90,000 members each which is significant when one keeps in mind that Malta’s population is of around 500,000 people. The groups are:
- Are You Being Served ? (Malta & Gozo) Original
- Are You Being Served?(Rubs of Moira and Francesca’s The Original)
