I’m all for positivity. There’s little that gives me as much joy as writing a good 5-star review.
But, let’s face it, some places are just bad, and the people need to know about it. If we only wrote positive reviews, people would be just as inclined to patronize the bad spots, and likely get the same bad experience.
There’s a place for negative reviews. Here are some tips I’ve gathered on how to do them right:
1. Be objective
Nothing is as ridiculous as a review that is clearly based on spite or shows someone clearly trying to get back at the proprietor for something. Think about your audience, what they’re looking for in the review, and give them the information that you have that will help them in their decision. Use your personal experience to convey your conclusion, but always relate it to your reader and how it might affect them.
2. Be specific
No matter what rating you give, you should always explain it in the text part of the review. Make sure to get details and to make sure that the things that went right or wrong are commensurate with the rating. If you leave a 1- or 2- star rating, you have to explain what’s so bad about the place. Doing this will help avoid reader’s questions, and give them something to work with in making their decision.
3. Be fair
Even if you leave a 1-star review, you need to be fair and acknowledge anything good that the reader might want to know about the place. Not only is it a matter of justice to acknowledge the pluses, it also gives you a touch more credibility when the reader sees that you’re being levelheaded.
Some of my most popular reviews are negative reviews. They work. It’s unfortunate that we can’t be all positive. If I had my druthers, I’d share only the good stuff.
But, in the end, we’re here to help the searchers find the good stuff, and sometimes a negative review is all it takes for a patron to avoid a bad experience or, ideally, for a business to improve.
