ADVICE
ADVICE
E-COMMERCE TIPS
The positive side of negative
customer reviews
GAVIN MULLINS, CEO of Eooro, warns of the potential dangers of ignoring negative reviews,
and shows how this kind of feedback is essential to improving as a business
February 2018 | jewelleryfocus.co.uk
with negative feedback and whether you use it as
a chance to learn, be grateful even. Remember, if
they hadn’t raised the issue, you would never have
known there was a problem.
Additionally, by having been actively collecting
reviews anyway, the chances are you will have a
larger proportion of positive reviews already. So when
something negative occurs, it simply gets diluted in
among the good ones. That’s good planning. When a
bad review happens it’s good to consider why reviews
are important in the first place; to help develop trust
and demonstrate transparency. Although no one
wants negative reviews, displaying them openly does
demonstrate transparency.
Rather than try to conceal lower-rated reviews,
known as ‘white-washing’, it’s far better to
acknowledge them and be seen to be responding
appropriately. Consumer research has shown that
customers are more likely to trust brands and
businesses that aren’t afraid to be transparent,
even if that means sharing poorer experiences, and
acknowledging where things were not perfect.
Rather than viewing poor reviews negatively as a
threat to potential sales, see them as an opportunity.
A customer has shared some information about your
products or services and given you a chance to learn
about important issues and make improvements.
Consider the alternative – they could have gone
away dissatisfied and not said anything.
Not only would you have lost a customer,
you wouldn’t know the reasons why and be in a
position to address any problems. From a potential
consumer’s perspective, when they encounter
negative reviews, they will be more interested in
how you as a supplier dealt with the problem. As
much as a positive review is reassuring, it’s equally
important to know that a retailer is listening
and that when problems occur, they are handled
professionally and openly. This all adds to the
authenticity of a brand and an important part of
building trust.
‘‘
Online reviews
are the
modern-day
equivalent of
the ‘word of
mouth’ our
parents would
have relied on
a mere 10 or 15
years ago
‘‘
A
t a time when the big chains have more
buying power than ever, finding ways to
differentiate and grow an independent retail
brand is very important. User generated content,
in the form of customer endorsements and online
reviews, are a powerful way to achieve this and help
consumers to decide whether they should buy from a
particular retailer.
Online reviews are the modern-day equivalent
of the ‘word of mouth’ our parents would have
relied on a mere 10 or 15 years ago. According to
independent research conducted by e-commerce
specialists 3DCart, 71% of consumers said that
customer reviews made them more comfortable
about buying a product and 82% of consumers
reported that reading past customer reviews made
the buying decision easier.
But just as customers rely on reviews to inform
their purchasing decisions, they also appreciate
their power to vent dissatisfaction very publically.
Consequently, people are much more vocal about
sharing their experiences of quality or service and
they won’t hesitate to use social media to tell the
world. It’s like an extra insurance policy.
Although retailers dread the prospect of receiving
negative reviews, it’s actually an inevitable part
of trading and there’s a positive side to consider.
Things go wrong, mistakes are made and you can’t
please everyone all of the time. It also tends to be
more common for customers to have a moan than to
leave positive comments, but retailers tend to panic
when it happens and it’s hard to know what to do in
these situations.
A bad or negative review will happen for every
business at some stage, they are a part and parcel of
business life today. It is a consumer’s right to leave
feedback and most people understand that a business
will have the odd bad review. Clearly, negative
reviews will impact a buyer’s decision making, but
there are positive and negative aspects to consider.
What’s more important is how you as a retailer deal
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Gavin Mullins is the
CEO of Eooro.com and
an expert in helping
companies to benefit
from user generated
content (UGC).
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