This page is part of a global project to create a better online reviews system. If you want to know more or give your feedback, write at [email protected] and we’ll grab a beer ;)
Reviews can make or break a reputation, which is precisely why they hold so much power.
A personal story: I once booked an Airbnb experience in New Zealand: a boat tour around a few islands. It was nice, despite the weather being a bit chilly and cloudy—things we can't control, right? While chatting with the skipper, she shared that such situations stress her out and that she was constantly “living in the fear of a bad review.” This phrase struck me. I realized I had the power to send a bad review myself, which seemed quite ironic.
This fear, particularly felt by small business owners and individual entrepreneurs, extends beyond mere pressure: it can become a significant hindrance. Constantly being stressed prevents anyone from doing their job well and can jeopardize their mental health.
The fear of a bad review is closely related to the discomfort of judging others, both rooted in the power dynamics between stakeholders. As Uncle Ben in "Spiderman" famously said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Online reviews have given people a potent tool that can be very harmful to small businesses if not used wisely.
Another risk is that businesses might start superficially pleasing their customers to avoid bad reviews, neglecting deeper issues and their core values. Not every customer can enjoy a service equally due to distinct subjective criteria, personal history, and specific expectations (see “Categorization & subjectivity”).
While people may share standards, what matters is why something pleased or displeased them. Potential customers can consider this information if they have similar expectations or choose to ignore it otherwise (see “All reviews don’t count the same”). Being bold as a company helps find the right market, ensuring a variety of options and fostering innovation in society.
However, since ratings are averaged, potential customers might discard a business from their shortlist before delving into such nuanced information (see “Threshold of consideration”). In this context, who could blame a business for people-pleasing? Businesses might even do that me unconsciously.
This can make human connections less authentic and more transactional, leading to a standardization of service that we will explore in a subsequent section at the society-level.