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 ;)
The wisdom of the crowd relies on having reviewers who accurately represent the customer base. We've already noted that the set of reviewers is often unrepresentative, mostly because organic reviews tend to be negative, while invited reviews are usually positive.
Many articles online advise businesses to encourage their happy customers to leave reviews because these customers might not do so otherwise (due to forgetting, lack of time, or uncertainty about what to say, among all the reasons already presented in the chapter “What needs to be fixed at the reviewer-level”). It’s fair for businesses to request reviews, just as a new shop in town might ask clients to spread the word among friends and family.
However, when companies block bad reviews and only allow good reviews, this is known as review gating.
Some companies send a private survey after each purchase. If the customer is satisfied, they follow up with a request for a public review on platforms like Google, Trustpilot, or Tripadvisor. If the customer has mixed feelings or is disappointed, they collect the feedback but don’t ask for a public review. This process provides dissatisfied customers an outlet to express their frustrations privately, reducing their likelihood of leaving a bad public review. While this approach is understandable, it means that public reviews don’t accurately reflect the full range of customer experiences, leaving potential readers without information on areas that could be improved.
For small companies, this might be acceptable since they operate at a local level and likely interact face-to-face with their customers. However, larger companies often implement more sophisticated processes:
Some businesses use automated review management software to analyze email communications with customers, internal complaints records, and product return histories. The software then sends review invitations only to customers likely to post positive reviews.
Another form of review gating is flagging bad reviews. As already shared in the dedicated section, companies often flag negative reviews more frequently than positive ones, even though positive reviews can also be illegitimate.
It's challenging to envision a system where companies don’t try to tilt the balance in their favor. However, we can implement measures to mitigate the impact.
- Require reviewers to categorize their review. Even if a company encourages satisfied customers to leave a review, they might not rate everything as 5 stars. Seeing that a company has few positive recommendations in a specific category can make a reader more cautious.
- Ask customers their reason for leaving a review. If a customer indicates they’re leaving a review because the company asked them to, this might make their opinion seem less valuable to readers. However, this solution has drawbacks: some of these reviews are legitimate, and adding another field to the review process can make it longer, whereas leaving a review should be as quick as possible.