Why Customers Don’t Trust 5-star Reviews

Why Customers Don’t Trust 5-star Reviews

Last Updated on: 30th August 2024, 04:34 pm

A Reddit post managed to make it to the front page with the simple title “A 4.9 Star Rating Is More Reliable Than A 5.0 Star Rating.” If you’re unfamiliar with Reddit, a post must be voted up by thousands of people in order to appear on the front page. As a result, this concept appears to have resonated with thousands of individuals. Let’s look at why five-star reviews might not always be beneficial. 

Customers understand that not everyone Is going to be satisfied 

Commenters appeared to realize that no real company could ever please everyone. Everyone seems to recognize that no business can ever satisfy everyone and that there is always room for improvement. What they want to see is whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. 

Customers want authenticity 

Finally, customers trust reviews because they are a true picture of how the product or service will make them feel. Customers become wary if they think that a company’s reviews are false. Seeing every single client give a 5-star review shows that the clients are simply expressing gratitude for doing the bare minimum or are being paid for phony reviews. 

What can your business take away from this?  

Nobody wants to do business with someone they believe is a cheater for obvious reasons. The fact is that even the finest businesses and goods can’t satisfy everyone. 

While the Harry Potter series has generated a beloved book and film franchise, as well as a theme park, even the first Harry Potter novel couldn’t please everyone. On Amazon, there are more than 200 1-star reviews for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Of course, these are outweighed by the thousands of good reviews that the book has. 

But too many negative reviews can hurt your business as well. Research shows that customers prefer to avoid businesses with less than a 4-star rating.  

Let’s talk about some best practices for business reviews.  

The Importance of Checking Your Overall Average Rating

Receiving a 5-star review is undoubtedly satisfying, but it’s crucial not to overlook your overall average rating. Here’s why staying informed about your cumulative rating matters:

1. Comprehensive Insight into Customer Sentiment

While individual 5-star reviews boost morale, your average rating provides a broader perspective. It reflects the general sentiment of your customer base, giving you a true measure of how your business is performing.

2. Identifying Trends Over Time

Monitoring your overall rating allows you to spot trends. Are your review scores improving or declining? Understanding these trends helps you evaluate the success of your customer service strategies or new product offerings.

3. Impact on Consumer Trust

Potential customers often rely on the average rating to gauge the quality of a business. A higher overall rating enhances your credibility and can significantly influence buying decisions.

4. Strategic Marketing Adjustments

Regularly checking your ratings can reveal areas for improvement. Low scores in specific aspects can pinpoint the exact areas that need attention, enabling you to make targeted adjustments to your marketing or service strategies.

Consistently monitoring your average rating ensures you maintain a clear, unbiased view of your business’s reputation, allowing for informed strategy shifts and continuous improvement.

Why you should never buy reviews 

Remember, consumers, appreciate honesty. Customers are tired of being taken advantage of, so if they suspect that your evaluations are phony, they will avoid you. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can get away with it. It’s difficult to fake the genuine excitement of a real customer, so it’s simple to spot a fraudulent review. And most importantly, it is illegal and can get you banned by Google. 

The FTC also fines companies heavily for buying reviews. Urthbox, a firm based in Australia, was fined $260,000 in 2019 for paying consumers to offer positive feedback. So, it’s clear: buying reviews is a huge risk that will just decrease customer confidence in you. So don’t do it. 

We’ll go through how to get real customer feedback without resorting to underhanded methods. But before we get into that, let’s talk about how you can react when someone gives you a terrible review. 

Address all customer reviews 

Make efforts to reply when you get a bad review. Most people are aware that there are two sides to every story, so apologize and try to figure out what the customer’s problem is. If you succeed in resolving the client’s primary issue, they may develop into a devoted customer. 

A genuine apology and a vow to improve things might persuade the reviewer to remove or alter their original review. Even if the client decides to keep the bad review, a good response shows prospective consumers that you are prepared to go above and above for a great customer experience. 

However, another way to deal with negative reviews is to have them outweighed by similar positive feedback. So, here’s how you can get more customer reviews. 

To craft an impactful 5-star review reply, you’ll want to include several key elements that go beyond a simple thank you. Here’s a comprehensive guide to ensure your response makes a lasting impression:

Respond Promptly

Timeliness shows your commitment to customer feedback. A quick response indicates that you actively engage with and value your customers.

Express Genuine Gratitude

Start with a heartfelt thanks. Let the customer know how much you appreciate their positive feedback.

Personalize Your Reply

Address the reviewer by their name if available. This small touch makes your response feel more personal and sincere.

Reference Specific Details

Mention specific points from their review. Whether it’s a particular product, service, or aspect of their experience, acknowledging what they highlighted shows you’ve genuinely taken their feedback on board.

Invite Future Engagement

Encourage the customer to return. You can sweeten the deal by offering a special discount or incentive for their next visit, making them feel valued and welcomed back.

Reinforce Your Brand Values

Highlight how the positive aspects they mentioned align with your company’s core values. This reinforces your commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

Acknowledge Employee Efforts

If the reviewer mentioned specific employees, recognize them in your reply. This boosts staff morale and personalizes the interaction further.

Encourage Additional Feedback

Invite the customer to share more suggestions or experiences. This shows your openness to continuous improvement and valuing of their ongoing input.

Add a Personal Touch

Infuse a bit of personality into your response. Whether it’s a friendly tone, a touch of humor, or an anecdote, let your brand’s unique voice shine through.

Include a Call-to-Action

Subtly encourage the reviewer to follow your social media pages, sign up for newsletters, or participate in upcoming events. This helps build a stronger community and increases engagement.

Show Humility

Be gracious and avoid sounding boastful. Focus on showing appreciation and humility in your success, making your reply feel authentic and grounded.

By incorporating these elements, you’ll create a 5-star review reply that’s not just a thank you, but a meaningful interaction that strengthens your customer relationships and promotes your brand’s values.

This format ensures your content is easy to read and digest, breaking down the information into manageable chunks with clear subheadings.

3 ways to get more reviews 

You have a long list of ecstatic consumers. Getting them to leave a review is the issue. Even though customers appreciate reading reviews, many will not provide a review unless they had a really bad experience. After all, it takes effort on the part of the customer to leave one. They must find your company via review profiles, then try to express their feelings as they write a review. Mostly enraged clients would be willing to undertake this task. 

Send review requests via text and email  

Customers are eager to leave a review, as most clients understand that reviews may help businesses improve. The problem is that they do not want to devote time to finding your company on multiple sites to leave a review. 

The goal is to make the procedure simple. Start sending out review requests via text and email if you want more reviews. Remember to include a direct link to the review site in your message so that your customers may leave a review as soon as possible. 

Don’t gate your reviews  

“Review gating” is against Google and other review sites. That’s the practice of sending requests for reviews to only certain clients who you know will give positive comments. Hopefully, you understand why a few bad reviews won’t hurt you. But keep in mind if you do get a negative review that it can be addressed to show other onlookers your commitment to your customers.  

Keep timing in mind  

Consider going to an excellent Italian restaurant. You eat wonderful meals and receive fantastic service there. You return home satisfied. Then, three months later, you get a review request from the restaurant through a text message. When you think about it now, you don’t recall the event particularly well. After all, it’s been three months since you had your meal there. You might not even remember the name of your waiter. As a result, you may not be able to write an accurate review. The point is this: send out review requests at a suitable time. A few hours or days after the customer has received your product or service is usually best. 

What can we learn about reviews? 

  • Customers appreciate in-depth reviews.  
  • People enjoy reading reviews that are lower than 5 stars. A 4-star review is likely to reveal both advantages and disadvantages of working with you.  
  • Reviews help clients in deciding whether your company is a good fit for their needs. 

How Simply Be Found helps you get more reviews  

By following Simply Be Found’s step-by-step plan, you can generate and respond to more reviews and get found by more consumers who are looking for your products and services. And as a member of Simply Be Found, you will have a well-executed local SEO strategy, to ensure that your potential clients see your business first when they are searching for your industry type in your local area. 

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