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Customers Read Reviews (Companies Should, Too)
It seems like a no-brainer: On retail sites that include customer ratings and reviews, a high number of positive reviews will positively impact product sales, while a high number of negative reviews will negatively impact sales. This conclusion comes out of recent research from Hila Etzion, professor at the University of Michigan, along with analyses that caution retailers against ratings and reviews functionality.
While the potential for any negative outcome at all might be enough to spook some retailers away from ratings and reviews, the real message should be: Consumers are listening to peer reviews, are you? If a large majority of customer reviews indicate that a certain product isn't worth purchasing, maybe that's an indication that the product needs another look. The fault is probably in the source more so than the messenger.
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It amazes me, at what feels like such a late stage in the game, how few business owners seem to concern themselves with what's being said about them on 3rd party sites online. If someone was standing outside a business with a sandwich board saying "don't shop here" (I actually saw that a few years ago in front of a jewelry store in Hollywood, FL), I think the business owner would be pretty peeved.
It does vary by vertical, though. The hotel owners figured it out years ago; the restaurant owners, however, remain clueless.
I agree. Businesses spend more time searching for new clients than continuing the relationship and conversation with their current clients. So, they don't know what the reviews are or what is being said and they are "blind sided" when one comment makes it onto their radar.
Too many times businesses "speak for the clients" or "crystal ball" what they think their clients are thinking. Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier and more beneficial to just talk to them? Or read their reviews? Clients and customers speak using a variety of venues now and blogs, text messages and customer review sites are just other communication venues.
Tired of Kodak.com...
Kodak.com is absolutely horrible! I have placed a few orders online for photo cards, mugs etc, and they have screwed up each order. With this most recent case, they sent these cards to me again and they are still printed incorrectly and unaccepatble to go out - this is the 2nd time this has happened with this order. They are baby annnoucements and the spacing is all off. I had to go to the post office the first time, send them back; and now that it is screwed up again, they want me to go back to post office and mail these back as well in order to get my money back. They cannot guarantee that they can print them correctly b/c they are having spacing problems so they have suggested that I return them and they'll call it a "wash". I have a 7-week old and 16-month old and getting them packed in the car and in and out is no simple task. I told him I now have spent about 5-6 hrs. on this project between finding the template, creating the card, talking to customer service (close to 2 hours), having to call corporate office b/c no one was helpful, and the post office trip. He still is not budging - I have to drive to p.o. and mail back the cards again if I want to get my money back. Of course there is no offer for a coupon or something for my troubles. It is just back to the drawing board. I cannot belive these people get paid -- these are their solutions? Does Kodak train them to try to lose customers? I now am going to snapfish and will order announcements there and see what they can do. I will NEVER use Kodak again. I reccomend that you do not either.