Your Voice is Important
In 1936, a company called Consumer Reports was founded to research manufacturer claims. Products would live or die based on positive recommendations. Fast forward to the age of the internet. Consumer Reports is still here but buyers are more swayed by real consumer reports. That is to say, reviews from consumers.
When you shop online, there is an implied obligation to pay your experience forward by leaving a star rating or review. Star ratings require just a click. A review takes a few minutes, and may not be possible unless you have used the product for a while.
Focus on actual product. Most people are quick to leave a review when something goes wrong: a carrier crushes or loses the parcel; an item is missing; switched shipping labels result in receipt of an incorrect item. None of these things accurately convey to future customers what the product is like. More egregious is when the product is far inferior to the description.
There is an implied obligation to pay your experience forward by leaving a star rating or review.
Talk to your friends. Imagine a friend is asking about your experience ordering from a particular store. Do you find the product useful? Would you recommend the product if that friend needs the same item? Answering these questions is most beneficial.
Rating Perceived Value
What about the perceived value? How beneficial is a review that says, “I saw the X-widget at Y-store for 2 bucks less. I feel cheated”? Here is a fact unknown by many: Few people ever pay the lowest price for anything. Each company is trying to make a profit and has different overheads. They pay staff, electricity, warehousing, and shipping for materials to their facility—and sometimes to the customer.”
Perceived value takes into consideration affordability and convenience. Can you afford to pay almost two dollars for 8 ounces of milk at a coffee shop? You may not think twice while enjoying a stack of pancakes or a slice of pie. The server often gets a nice monetary tip as well. But paying 2 bucks for 8 ounces of milk at a grocery store sounds criminal.
In summary, when writing feedback about online purchases, focus on the general purpose. Would a friend or the average person be satisfied with this product? If so, leave a positive review. ClinicalPosters is counting on you to review the products on this website for other shoppers. Remember, many companies still succeed or fail based on consumer reports.
Main photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.
