[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Just because 3-star reviews can have a negative effect doesn’t mean they’re an attack. Treating them as such isn’t healthy. A healthy approach is to assess the rating and criticism.

I think there's an important distinction here I'm not certain you're appreciating. Yes, some 3-star reviews aren't intended to be an attack, but they do end up being an attack. It's victim blaming to say a business owner isn't treating them in a healthy manner. Whether intentional or not, a business and its people (a business, after all, is just a group of people) does experience a negative and permanent mark against their efforts due to a negative review. Doesn't matter if a 3-star review isn't intended to be negative, the result is negative for the business.

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

If it’s not legitimate, if there’s nothing you did wrong or could improve, then chalk it up to the vagaries of dealing with the public. And take comfort in the fact that your competitors get the same unfounded ratings, and they should even out in all probability.

Sure, and if I slap my secretary's ass I'll just tell her to chalk it up to having a nice rump that I happen to appreciate. You can ask a victim to reframe an interaction all you want, but it changes very little. I suppose she could take comfort in the fact that other women are having their asses slapped, too, but I'm not sure that would help her - as an individual - with her personal feelings of being victimized.

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

If the criticism has merit - if you did screw up or aspects of your business can be improved - then take the criticism to heart and find ways to do better next time. If you do improve, then you’ve reduced the likelihood of getting similar negative reviews in the future.

I'm not sure the public always knows the best way to run my business that I've been operating for the past 16 years as well as my team does. There was the one guy that demanded we all take off our shoes in the shop so we wouldn't get shoe footprints on his industrial product we were fabricating and huffed and walked away when I told him OSHA wouldn't approve of that, but yeah, my customers are notorious for knowing how to run my business better than me. I'll try to take that to heart next time.

Or the twice a week I'm advised to be open on Saturdays. Yeah, who needs to spend time with their families and have a life outside of a little manufacturing plant.

Believe me, there are lots of tips and tricks out there, 99% of which are absurd and based on absolute ignorance.

And the ones that are helpful (we can always learn) typically come from somebody that just shoots me an email or talks to us the next time they're in our office. Like, you don't need to give us a negative review to give us feedback. What's up with that?

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

But you seem to believe all business operators are always honest, competent, and efficient. That they’re doing customers a favour just by existing. But business owners are no better (or worse) than the general public. Some are dishonest, lazy, or unpleasant to deal with. And some just aren’t as good at delivering a service to customers as their competitors are. So why shouldn’t the public share its experiences to sort the good from the bad and the mediocre from the excellent?

I don't believe that at all. I'm trying to get across that business owners are just people. Why are we all supportive of the Me Too movement where unfair power dynamics victimize one group, but when it comes to businesses there is no empathy.

I'm not talking about Elon Musk or multi-millionaire sharks out there who we should have sympathy for. I'm talking about the guy who started a mobile tire changing service getting one-starred because he looked "disheveled when he showed up at my house." Or the snow-clearing company getting one-starred because the snow wasn't instantaneously cleared as soon as the last flake fell as though there wasn't a queue of customers to work through. Or the one guy running his Shawarma spot and getting one-starred because the bathroom wasn't clean enough in the middle of a lunch rush as though he was supposed to stop cooking and run to clean the bathroom.

The review system is not set up to help customers or businesses. It's sole purpose is to drive traffic and clicks on platforms at the expense of businesses. Are some businesses bad? Yeah, of course, but we don't have to nuke them. Just don't go back...it doesn't need to be broadcasted to the world on a continuous and permanent loop.