Much of the responsibility that lies with customer reviews will reside with the business. They are the party that provides the product or service and has to match the professional standards expected of them by the paying public.
Yet there is also a degree of responsibility on those participants who do decide to publish their opinion to the wider masses. The shared economy model has helped to make this exercise more accepted and universal, but it is not a domain that should be abused under any shape or form.
We will outline some of the top tips for leaving ratings and feedback through these digital channels.
Being Honest About The Experience
No one can have legitimate complaints about reviews if they are written with 100% honesty. It is when individuals publish lies and misleading statements to attract attention when businesses have a right to be furious about the entire online community. The moment that one man or woman decides to tell falsehoods then the entire process can lose credibility from the perspective of the company. In that event, the owner will be less inclined to make the necessary changes.
Keeping The Discourse Civil
The moment that foul language is used within reviews, then the business has every right to remove or red flag them. That will make the entire exercise illegitimate and a waste of time for all parties concerned. Sites like Google and Facebook have very strict terms and conditions on this count, leaving individuals to say what they want on their own social media channels or blogs instead. It will also fail to entice any empathy from other constituents who could have been supportive if the language had remained civil.
Focusing on Constructive Elements
It is important for readers and other online users not just to see reviews through a standard star rating system, but to sift through the comments to get some context about their experience. Being constructive is helpful for others and for the company itself when assessing the merits of the appraisal. It is not enough to say the customer service “sucked.” Why was it so bad? Was their waiting time too long? Were they unprofessional in their discourse? If the restaurant was “awesome,” then why was it so? Was the menu enticing? Was the dining experience above board?
Don’t Use it to Plug Other Businesses
The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 could be imposed on those individuals who decide to publish reviews in the hope of highlighting a competitor’s business. This is a dubious tactic at the best of times and can bring unwanted attention against participants who could be deemed as bad faith actors. Of course, there will be natural parallels between some larger enterprises given their reach, but it always raises eyebrows when those comparisons are made at a local level.
There is always the risk that the person writing reviews can mistake the business for another entity or publish a string of spelling and grammar issues that makes the content difficult to comprehend. Go over the commentary again and ensure that it is something that the individual is happy to put their name to. If there are any reservations about the review or it was made out of gest or anger, then it is worthwhile sitting on that for a moment and seeing if the business is willing to rectify the problem before hitting send on the reviews.
Don’t Feel Restricted By One Review
Experiences can change over time. What was a fact last year might be different this time around. This type of online feedback can be updated if customers switch from positive to negative or vice versa. If there has been a drop in standards or stark improvements since the last time around, then it is beneficial for the public to be made aware of the change in fortunes.
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor.