When you’re leaving feedback for a business there a few things to keep in mind to ensure those who read it get the real benefit of your opinion. After all, that’s what feedback is, your experience of the service you paid for or a product that you bought and if you can take the few minutes it takes to post it, then following these tips will mean it is a valuable guide for others.
Give constructive and helpful feedback
Your review is a story of your experience and you want to make sure that it gives the reader a real sense of that. Whether your feedback is glowing, or less than positive, make points that illustrate that and keep it simple. If you think there were outstanding elements to the business’ service – point them out. For example, were they fantastic at communicating with you? Did they take your ideas and make them even better than you imagined? Or was their customer service lacklustre or you were treated rudely? Remember that those reading what you write will want a real sense of how the business performed.
Be polite
If your experience was not that great, the real value in your writing will be in keeping it courteous and level-headed. Nobody gets much out of angry, illogical name calling and putdowns. While you may have totally legitimate reasons to be aggrieved, if you make the feedback polite and set out the things you found dissatisfactory, then others will perhaps not to go through that same experience and the business may well take note and learn from their mistakes.
Most importantly, don’t name call, do not make it personal and if you are angry – then take a bit of time to put something together that you are happy with.
Keep it short and simple
For the best overall effect, don’t write screeds and screeds. Readers are put off by huge chunks of text and they will be reading a few reviews to make their own minds up. If your feedback looks like a challenge, they will skip it and you’ve lost your opportunity to be heard. Also – don’t just leave one or two word reviews like great’ or ‘good business’. That gives readers absolutely no idea of how you found a business.
Make it truthful and honest
Stick to the facts when needed and don’t be dishonest. After all, what’s the use in distorting the truth when your review is intended to give readers the benefit of your evaluation? It’s also essential to avoid defamatory statements. We have the freedom to express our opinions but we do not have license to lie or defame.
Proof read your review before you submit it
Don’t post your feedback without reading it a few times and asking yourself if you achieved what you wanted to by your writing and proof read it! If those who read it can’t make sense of it then you have wasted your time.
Write negative feedback as a last resort
Unfortunately not all experiences with businesses goes as intended and a review should not be used initially as a threat or a punishment. Go through the steps of providing the business with the information they need to remedy the work, or to offer recompense. Im most cases, they will. If you have exhausted all other options than your feedback will give them another opportunity to make things right, if not, it will give others the warning to stay away.
