The Consumer Perspective on Negative Reviews and Their Impact

In a world of social influence and viral distribution of news, online reviews have the power to make or break businesses and their reputation. Consulting reviews has become the norm among customers, so that even tech goliaths like Apple can’t help but play an active role in responding to more critical responses.

So what makes users, customers and buyers leave reviews online, and what are they really looking to achieve by contributing to the public discussion of a brand, experience, or product?

The Source of Negative Reviews

According to research, while overall customer satisfaction with in-store shopping increases, so do the expectations of what a great shopping experience is. Consumers expect retailers to have better technology, offer more services, and provide better customer care.

What happens when the product doesn’t quite live up to its expectations?

As a consumer, you might consider leaving a negative review. A couple of negative reviews might be inevitable and paints an authentic picture of your brand, but too many can be a hint that a brand is consistently under-delivering.

Overwhelmingly, users and consumers admit they leave negative comments about businesses simply as a warning to the online community. Other reasons include helping setting proper expectations and warn prospective customers away from making a purchase they’ll regret.

Personalized Responses

The vast majority of people expect to receive personalized responses to their negative feedback. There are plenty of examples on how to address public criticism, and most reputation experts recommend avoiding defensive comments and focusing on finding a resolution for the customer’s issue.

Ultimately, consumers want their issue addressed and a quick solution to for their pain point. Almost 90 percent of people stated that they expect companies to fix the issue at hand and then contact them regarding the solution.

Compensation That Counts

In certain situations, a response from the company to a negative online review isn’t enough to alienate customer concerns. Occasionally, consumers expect to be compensated for having had a negative experience with the product or service.

According to research, around 80 percent of people believe that a replacement of the product would be in order following a negative review, and would prefer being given additional compensation for their time and inconvenience.