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 ;)
Leaving feedback takes time and effort, but if the company doesn’t respond, the customer feels it's pointless. Similar to invasive requests, this generates user fatigue that weakens the entire system: having not received replies to their previous reviews, customers are reluctant to leave another one.
Closing the loop is crucial, and it’s not just about replying with a templated answer. There’s a big difference between “We are very sorry and will do our best to improve our customers' experience” and “We changed our workflow, thank you for flagging that.”
It’s not just about the company’s acknowledgment but also that of other customers. Reviewers need to feel that their reviews are useful.
- Review management tools. Tools like Partoo and Fullwhere help small businesses stay on top of their reviews and encourage replies.
- Self-interest. If the review addresses the reviewer’s own interest, a reply may not be necessary. For instance, Beli leverages this by having users review and save places, which then feeds their algorithm to provide personal recommendations for new places to try.
- “This review is helpful” feature. Amazon and Google allow users to mark reviews as helpful. However, it's unclear whether it was helpful for a user making a decision or if another customer who tried the product confirms the point. We can clarify this by separating both cases. In any case, such a social feature motivates people to leave reviews (cf. the self-enhancement trigger mentioned in “Why Do We Leave Online Reviews”).
