This is one of those ‘Is it me…?’ situations.
I’ve been thinking about this topic more and more recently… to the point I want to share.
Are reviews fair? If we take time to analyse, then no, they’re not. Not really. How can they be when the bigger picture or the extenuating circumstances of a negative experience or situation is rarely explored or revealed in a review?
Of course, the person or business receiving the review gets to reply. So that should be considered fair. But how many of us feel tentative and hesitant when doing so? Overthinking every word and sentence you write, so you don’t offend or appear defensive or negative? You try to see it from the
reviewer’s point of view, but know, really, that you did nothing wrong. Because the customer is always right – right?
Well, no. They’re not. And I bet so many of you reading this are shouting “No, they’re not!” back at the screen.
Reviews are essential to us all as business owners. They inform and educate our current and future clients and customers. They’re powerful. And so is the person writing them in many ways.
I think that in today’s social media frenzy people believe they can post anything they like with impunity. They have little idea of the repercussions and negative impact they can have on a business. They think they are immune from any comeback. Because, often, we allow them to be.
The entire review ‘game’, in my opinion, is very biased towards the reviewer. It empowers them to write and criticise anything as if an expert, rather than what they’re actually doing, which is to be allowed to share their personal view based on, sometimes, minimal experience.
When reading a review from an expert, I take notice. Because they have experience. But how do I know if the review I’m reading is from an expert? Or from a disgruntled person who was having a bad day and is now taking it out on the business they happened across that day.
So, do we …can we…should we…find a way to review the reviewer?
