Yes, that is exactly
what we are saying. Don't believe everything you read or see on the
web. More often than not, the real picture is completely different
from the one painted by the online negative reviews.
According to a recent
study, a high percentage of negative reviews floating on the
popular consumer websites are posted by people who actually never
bought the product or had any dealings with the businesses they were
so bluntly complaining about!
Generally when it comes
to fake negative reviews, your competitors are the first
obvious suspects. It is quite true. Posting false and negative
reviews to pull down the rating of the competitor brand, or shoo
away the potential customers of the competition, is a very common
practice (unethical too!).
But, according to this
study, the fabricated negative reviews were posted by loyal
customers of the company/brand! Shocking isn't it? It is hard for a
company to come in terms with the fact that its loyal customers are
spreading blunt & damaging negative reviews on powerful
consumer platforms like, Yelp. The reason that customers were doing
so is that they feel connected to the brand, and want to act like
'managers' for the company. The intention behind the fake negative
statements is to vent out their frustrations for a product or
service, and draw attention of the company.
The study has
completely changed the way people feel about online reviews. Knowing
that a majority of reviews, positive as well as negative ones, are
fabricated, trusting the reviews to form a decision will be a big
mistake.
We at smartData
Enterprises Inc. feel that it is imperative to do a comprehensive
study of your own before you take any decision. If you base your
decision on the positive reviews, you might end up with a
good-for-nothing product, while trusting the negative reviews
can drive you away from a good product. Therefore, go for online
reviews only when there is no other source of recommendations
available.
Indeed, the famous
saying has become quite clear & true - 'Your best friends are
your worst enemies.'