Online Reviews
Discussion
Online reviews. They're a mixed bag, but you can usually tell the genuine ones from those written by the owner's mum. But do you pay much attention to that content when looking at whether to use that business or not?
There are services to make sure the consumer only gets to see the good reviews (Negative Content Suppression). Reputation means a lot. I once had to ask Google to remove a review of my business which was from someone who didn't like the way I was driving; what does that have to do with my ability to provide a service?
It was deleted by Google because I don't have a ginger beard.
The latest is someone has gone to the trouble of writing, 'Rubbish service'. Google don't see this as a violation even though this person has no account or evidence of why they went to the trouble of leaving a negative review.
Do you trust reviews?
There are services to make sure the consumer only gets to see the good reviews (Negative Content Suppression). Reputation means a lot. I once had to ask Google to remove a review of my business which was from someone who didn't like the way I was driving; what does that have to do with my ability to provide a service?
It was deleted by Google because I don't have a ginger beard.
The latest is someone has gone to the trouble of writing, 'Rubbish service'. Google don't see this as a violation even though this person has no account or evidence of why they went to the trouble of leaving a negative review.
Do you trust reviews?
If I can't get a personal recommendation then I look at a few of the most recent - specifically the very good ones, and the very bad ones.
It's usually easy to spot the genuine from the fake, and where a bad review is just someone being a tool or having a moan.
I would be more inclined to use a business that had some bad reviews (or a mixed bag) where the owner has responded and either explained the situation from their side, or accepted and apologised, than one that has 100% glowing perfect reviews as that just makes me suspicious!
It's usually easy to spot the genuine from the fake, and where a bad review is just someone being a tool or having a moan.
I would be more inclined to use a business that had some bad reviews (or a mixed bag) where the owner has responded and either explained the situation from their side, or accepted and apologised, than one that has 100% glowing perfect reviews as that just makes me suspicious!
Yes.
Depends on the subject matter.
For instance I was looking for Heathrow parking.
The bad reviews were exactly what I was expecting - parking tickets, dents, huge mileages, mounds of manure all over the vehicles, being shouted at for daring to question why they had to wait 4 hours for them to show up.
It's such an unsexy subject that it's the kind of thing that attracts proper reviews. Less so for other stuff and many are written by demanding nutters.
Depends on the subject matter.
For instance I was looking for Heathrow parking.
The bad reviews were exactly what I was expecting - parking tickets, dents, huge mileages, mounds of manure all over the vehicles, being shouted at for daring to question why they had to wait 4 hours for them to show up.
It's such an unsexy subject that it's the kind of thing that attracts proper reviews. Less so for other stuff and many are written by demanding nutters.
Anyone can leave a review whether they had a service or not. The business can reply, but then the reviewer can then edit their review and so on.
If you contact a business and for whatever reason it doesn't come to anything, there is no violation of the terms if the potential customer left a negative review. This makes no sense whatsoever. We've had a scenario where the 'potential' customer turned out to be a messer and we decided it was in our best interests not to go any further with the enquiry. He left a negative review calling it a 'rubbish service' and that we were trying to make more money out of him.
Google initially didn't see it as a violation and kept the review visible. It's gone now but I think it's absurd that you can end up with bad things said about your business from someone that wasn't - and never was going to be - a customer.
If you contact a business and for whatever reason it doesn't come to anything, there is no violation of the terms if the potential customer left a negative review. This makes no sense whatsoever. We've had a scenario where the 'potential' customer turned out to be a messer and we decided it was in our best interests not to go any further with the enquiry. He left a negative review calling it a 'rubbish service' and that we were trying to make more money out of him.
Google initially didn't see it as a violation and kept the review visible. It's gone now but I think it's absurd that you can end up with bad things said about your business from someone that wasn't - and never was going to be - a customer.
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff