Why you should fear bad reviews

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

Again Rick can we please see where you've gotten some great reviews? It's easy to focus on the negative. Now what about the positive. What are you doing right instead of what is wrong with you and your business. I learned this from recovery. I learned to stop beating myself about what's wrong with me and I focus more on what's right with me. Yes I have faults and flaws like everyone else. Nobody is perfect. I just learned over the years to not be so hard on myself when I fall short. Simple question Rick for you. Do most of the clients you service like what you do?

 

[Ausumm]

In my view, the top 3 pieces of info that win their confidence are reviews, pics/vids, and sales pitch used on the website. You guys say I spend too much time worrying about reviews but in my studies I place reviews as key in about 1/3 of my prospects. Try taking 1/3 of your front-end prospects away and see if you can still close the same number of sales.

So you are saying that you get 33% of your jobs from wedding sites that offer reviews?
(okay, 33% of your potential clients)

 

[rickryan.com]

So you are saying that you get 33% of your jobs from wedding sites that offer reviews?
(okay, 33% of your potential clients)

It's a guesstimate. I have reviews mentioned very often as a motivator for why they contacted me. This board is a place to discuss problems, share ideas, etc. It does nobody any good for me to discuss my glowing reviews. In the 3%-5% of problem cases it does benefit the group, as well me, to talk about them and how to deal with them.

 

[Ausumm]

If it's only 3 to 5%, there is no need to deal with them.
I don't think any sensible person would read 20 glowing reviews about you,
and then NOT hire you because of ONE bad one.
Even your "bad" reviews are not all that damaging, from what I can tell from your posts.

 

[rickryan.com]

If it's only 3 to 5%, there is no need to deal with them.
I don't think any sensible person would read 20 glowing reviews about you,
and then NOT hire you because of ONE bad one.
Even your "bad" reviews are not all that damaging, from what I can tell from your posts.

There is always a reason try to and negate or blunt the damage a complainer is trying to generate. I've heard a few prospects also make mention that they specifically searched for complaints and gave compliments for how I dealt with them. For whatever reason, I've heard it said that prospects will often view a bad review in a positive light, if the vendor addresses it tactfully and positively.

I also have spoken with a photog friend who had an extortioner who dinged them, early on. He said how it caused them real problems and that they heard about that review at a lot of meetings for over a year. You guys can poo-poo it if you want but in my book it's simply smart business practice to do diligence in regards.

 

[Proformance]

That's an ignorant statement and betrays your last statement, that you've ignored your internet marketing. There are ways to track click rates, traffic, etc. that tells you whether a particular approach is working or not. Methinks you've been dependent on referrals for too long. If that free lunch ever dries up your goose is cooked. I'd suggest you get busy working on your own marketing efforts in addition to the networking.



This part is true and shows exactly why reviews are so valuable. The model is changing and your referral folks are starting to NOT be the ones a bride calls for her vendors. An ever-increasing number of brides are using the web to locate the vendors directly. In my view, the top 3 pieces of info that win their confidence are reviews, pics/vids, and sales pitch used on the website. You guys say I spend too much time worrying about reviews but in my studies I place reviews as key in about 1/3 of my prospects. Try taking 1/3 of your front-end prospects away and see if you can still close the same number of sales.



True, referrals almost always are better leads. I see less haggling and less time needed to get to the sale. Still, the model is shifting so in my view diversification is key to truly being able to shape your own destiny. Diversifying my prospect channels keeps the pipeline more full than just depending on one variety. By the same token, diversifying product offerings (i.e. uplighting, italian string lighting, photobooths, etc.) moves my average booking amount higher instead of trying to keep competing with the bottom-feeders.

Well, you simply don't know what you don't know. For example, You probably believe you know all about your competition - and I'd wager there are a handful of very serious players in your territory that you are completely unaware of. Why? Because they don't advertise and they work in niches and economic tiers you're not privy too. That's life - it's true everywhere.

You also assume to much based on your personal perspective. It's not like I have no internet presence - and in just a three year period alone I did over a half-million dollars in sales directly attributed to my website - not directories, no reviews just right off my own web. I just haven't been working it the way I used to. I got tired of it, and tired of the internet class of client. I've taken no paid advertising anywhere in 15 years - yet, I'm still in demand. Any way you slice it the internet is just the new Yellow pages with expanded content.

I'm not saying you shouldn't be online. I am saying that everyone is online and everyone has good reviews - so, there's nothing about them that really differentiates you from anyone else. In that window you are a commodity unless and until you get a chance to demonstrate otherwise. When you weigh the benefit of good reviews against the liability of bad ones - it hardly seems worth it for the kind of work I'm in. I can post reviews by recognized members of the community on my own website and not open myself to any of that risk.

When a banquet manager or corporate planner makes a referral it's more than a review, it's an endorsement - an actual witness to my services who is already a trusted and involved participant in the prospects event. Who endorses you and for what purpose is far more important than how many good reviews you have from people and events unknown. (Again, this is specific to the business we are in, and doesn't necessarily apply to others. Still, despite the obvious benefit of reviews to things like restaurants and movies - you'll notice that movie advertising often contains hand picked reviews given by very high profile and well known people. Ah-ha! )

From where I sit - the internet is not the answer to increasing my bottom line with work that excites me. Being "in the loop" on the other hand does create exciting opportunities and guarantees that I 'm likely to be invited to quote a gig well before anyone bothers to surf the net. The difference is that I'm a resource - someone who's already on their contact list. Net surfers don't have that contact list, they lack quality resources and information - that's why they are surfing.

 

[Proformance]

There is always a reason try to and negate or blunt the damage a complainer is trying to generate. I've heard a few prospects also make mention that they specifically searched for complaints and gave compliments for how I dealt with them. For whatever reason, I've heard it said that prospects will often view a bad review in a positive light, if the vendor addresses it tactfully and positively.

I also have spoken with a photog friend who had an extortioner who dinged them, early on. He said how it caused them real problems and that they heard about that review at a lot of meetings for over a year. You guys can poo-poo it if you want but in my book it's simply smart business practice to do diligence in regards.

I already do that with references. When a person contacts my previous clients they get an earful of everything - what was good and what needed improvement. The difference is that each of these people has agreed to make that reference and whatever criticism they offer is intended to be constructive. I can demonstrate how I resolved something with prompt customer service, etc. but, once I change or improve something - the issue ends right there and never resurfaces. There's no legacy that continues to rear it's head over and over again.

I prefer not to be burdened with constant farming and monitoring of internet reviews and the constant vigilance of extinguishing flames.

 

[Ausumm]

There is always a reason try to and negate or blunt the damage a complainer is trying to generate. I've heard a few prospects also make mention that they specifically searched for complaints and gave compliments for how I dealt with them. For whatever reason, I've heard it said that prospects will often view a bad review in a positive light, if the vendor addresses it tactfully and positively.

I also have spoken with a photog friend who had an extortioner who dinged them, early on. He said how it caused them real problems and that they heard about that review at a lot of meetings for over a year. You guys can poo-poo it if you want but in my book it's simply smart business practice to do diligence in regards.

If your methods put money your wallet, I am not gonna say you're doing it wrong.
I guess the point I am trying to make is this:
Is all of the time, effort, and worry you are investing in trying to negate some bad reviews, REALLY worth the end result?
What's the point of making the money, if you're too tired, too busy, too frustrated, or too DEAD to enjoy it?

I'm just sayin' that if you could put your effort into your gear, your show, and your talent...
and stopped busting your own b*lls over a not-so-bad review...you'd have a lot more fun.

And think about THIS: (it may be a stretch)
Perhaps the potential clients who put too much value in someone else's opinion (an online review) rather than deciding for themselves...
are the same clients who turn out to be the nut-jobs that you post so often about.

 

[rickryan.com]

Is all of the time, effort, and worry you are investing in trying to negate some bad reviews, REALLY worth the end result? What's the point of making the money, if you're too tired, too busy, too frustrated, or too DEAD to enjoy it?

Funny you should mention this. I was actually thinking a bit earlier about how I spend more time talking about this issue on the forums than actual time spent fighting or trying to avoid bad reviews. These things seem to come up a few times per year. I try to quickly address the situation, blunt it, then move on. A full half of the bad ones I've dealt with are simply brides trying to extort money, usually because it's something they heard they could do on another bridal forum. I know I posted about a review a couple of weeks ago (4.1 out of 5). The score was so-so and the write-up was good but in the end it was like I suspected. It was bogus. Even though it helps my score, it was the first fake I've seen and so I wanted it gone (which it is).

I do appreciate the discussion on the subject.