If you’re a store owner or even a customer looking to buy online, customer reviews play a huge part in the process. You have probably come across some reviews that just seemed a little weird. I have compiled a list of 5 of the most common bad reviews that you are bound to see online.
The Confusing
Some reviews just don’t add up. This reviewer left a single star rating for a roll of anti-ageing cream from Olay boasting that it irritated her eyes and didn’t work properly. Who in their right mind uses a product for an entire year with seemingly no results when it causes an allergic reaction to their eyes? No one that’s who.
The Absent
This review is another one that you shouldn’t take notice of. When a “customer”, and I put that in inverted commas because I’m not sure that they actually are, leaves a bad review without any feedback it can mean one of two things. One, they don’t care enough about their dissatisfaction to give an accurate representation of their experience or it’s someone out to intentionally reduce the sale of the product.
You can’t trust the first because if I hate something enough to give it a one star I’m sure as anything going to tell you why I hate it. You also can’t trust the second person because that could be your competitor or anyone for that matter that wants to bring the overall rating of the product or service down.
The Contradictory
The classic contradiction review. This one is hard to understand and will be sure to baffle some of the merchants out there. This one-star rating was for a set of Pastel pencils that came bundled in a tin box. A seemingly positive comment with a bad one-star rating. You can put this down to either a simple mistake or complex contradiction that keeps on giving. I liken it to a little of both.
The Helpful
This is a bad review that you can actually listen to. This review is for a flashlight on Amazon and the reviewer describes in a calm tone with the proper reason why he/she didn’t like the product and why a one-star rating is appropriate. When customers can clearly articulate and pinpoint their dissatisfaction with a product, merchants should use this opportunity to listen.
The Fortune Teller
This review is about a pre-order album for sale available on Itunes. It’s not uncommon for people to review a product before it’s even out. I might not even call this person a customer; they couldn’t possibly have reviewed the product considering it isn’t out yet and therefore their opinion has little to do with the quality of the actual product. Don’t worry about bad reviews like this one because they are quickly disregarded by other reviewers and potential customers.
Author’s Note
The online environment is comprised of many quirky and interesting characters and you’re bound to get a few bad reviews here and there. Don’t take it personally. Listen to the helpful reviews and shrug off the ones that you have no hope of understanding.
Reviews are important, so take each one in your stride and reap the rewards that social selling brings.
