Review or not to Review

By Martin Reynolds, industry expert and consultant

When I was a youngster there were only really two types of reviews. The main area was within the arts world where all plays and shows were either praised or panned by the critics, mainly in the newspapers. Reviews could make or break a show on its first night. On TV we used to have Barry Norman with his film reviews educating us on what to see or not as was his want.

The only other review I had when I was younger were the school report and parents evening. All I remember from that time was that I was not allowed out to play until my parents returned with either a thumbs up or thumbs down. I never did take an apple in for the teacher!

Apart from that it was all trial and error, whether it was going on holiday to buying a car or white goods. It was only if a friend or neighbour could recommend something that it became less hit or miss but even then it depended upon their preferences compared to yours. Things began to change slowly with “Which” starting to provide reviews on how reliable and cost effective items were. All these reviews were still  subjective and related opinions of professional critics.

However, with the launch of the internet the review culture began to grow and has exploded over the last few years. From Trip Adviser to Top Table and Ebay everyone is asked to leave a review of their experience. These reviews are important and most people I speak to will not book a hotel or holiday without checking first on review sites.

Is this a good thing or not? I believe it is an excellent example of consumer regulation. There is nothing as honest as consumer feedback. The key is making sure that a balanced view is given and that as many people as possible provide feedback.

Are bad reviews really bad? As with everything if we do not learn from poor experiences or bad judgement then we do not move forward. We are on a journey and feedback is important. Ultimately reviews will provide clues as to how service levels can be improved.

The review culture is here to stay but should not be viewed as a negative step. It should be embraced and used in a positive manner to promote good service and raise standards.