The Negative Reviewers
Originally posted on Dec 20, 2020 on medium.com/@shamandao
Do you guys remember the time when yelpers demanded free food in exchange for yelp reviews? Yeah, thank goodness the companies and restaurants started standing up for themselves.
I scan a lot of reviews before buying products or ordering services. I do this to see the common denominator in service and quality. I also believe having negative reviews is crucial in understanding the perception of the reviewers versus determining if the product and services are as good as the five star reviews. New profiles equal family and friends, I know, I know.
But recently, I wondered about the negative reviews of loyal customers who write reviews like; I’ve been coming to this restaurant for ten years or we used to call each other by our first names and now the owner doesn’t even say hi.
Never in ten years did this person write a positive review, but the moment when service downgraded, negative was immediately written. Why? How is it we are so quick to write a negative review when there were so many positive experiences?
My take is that the narrative of the customer’s story changed when life didn’t go their way. It’s always easier to villainize another person when life doesn’t go your way.
So many people have problems that exist behind closed doors. Smiles and order are on display to please the customer, but when those same problems seep out from underneath, it seeps into the businesses. It’s all energy; business energy, personal energy, spiritual energy all vibrating at certain frequencies.
So when someone is not having a good day or you have a crappy order. Or the same restaurant you’ve been going to is now doing something completely different, ask yourself. Why? Then ask them how they’re doing, like really doing.
If they’ve been giving you the same treatment for years, then if and when it changes, be kind. You never know what someone is going through at that moment.