Really brought to mind recently when I rated a hobby / model builder shop. The owner has been in operation there for 25+ years and had some supplies I could not source elsewhere. As a one time customer I gave him a good rating as was very helpful as well.
When I was completing my rating I noticed there was a one star rating. The local guide seemed to have brought a no brand name model kit at a fraction of the usual price on ebay and had gone to the business as he had a part missing / could not build it. Walked away unhappy with expected free assistance level not being met so gave a one star rating.
From the info the local guide supplied I would not really be concerned about dealing with the business myself but it had me wondering about low reviews with no information provided. Guess this is what makes actual reviews valuable.
I agree and also think to many poor ratings are based on very circumstantial factors. I agree it’s important to explain a bad experience especially because it can contribute to a trend in reviews but I try to look past mistakes and stop review the establishment.
Jonathan Gold is a very well known food critic in my neck of the woods. He only publishes reviews of places he likes. In other words, if he goes somewhere and doesn’t like it, he just doesn’t publish a review.
It is especially important in his position, because his reviews have an especially powerful effect on the success of a business. He takes businesses from near bankruptcy to crowds it can’t handle.
It’s obviously nowhere near as critical for me, but it still makes sense to me on many different levels. “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”. If I’m asked to give my thoughts on an experience, and it happened to be a negative experience in sum, I still make a point to try and say something positive, and I always make it clear that it could well be a one off.
It’s nice see this sort of conversation. Thanks y’all
This certainly goes both ways. When it comes to negative reviews I certainly look for trends. If everything negative is relating to minor things like a one off with an employee who may have not been having a good day, then its ignored. But if the same person appears to be referenced over and over again then it is worth taking note.
But the flip side of the coin is that I think often people give too high of reviews. Too often any type of good service is given a 5 star review. To me that’s worth 4 stars and a place must be over and beyond to be 5 stars.
It seems to me many are all or nothing. Either they’re 5 stars or 1 and 2, 3 and 4 star ratings get drastically under used.
