Alicia ponders on the way Business has changed over the decades and what it means to receive a 5-star or a 1-star review in the modern age of equality via technology.

Once upon a time we were able to approach any business and view it as the be-all and end-all. Customer Service was an industry all its own and businesses were seen as the big honchos in the playground of Life that we could easily turn to for assistance with whatever our fancy.

The scales changed with the rise of the information age and social media and then a societal paradigm shift occurred where we all turned from viewing anybody as ‘the expert’ to viewing everybody on the same plane. No longer were businesses held on a pedestal as a fountain of knowledge but they were seen as human and equal and, even, as colleagues. (Perhaps even Medical Doctors might have felt the pinch with patients now coming to them with, “I read on Google…”).

This shift was both good and bad. The good included a wide-range level of confidence that began to permeate our social fabric and this is evident in our kids today – they seem to know so much more and be aware of far more life intricacies than we were, back in the day, am I right?

But what about the bad? The ugly? Think angry customers behind the anonymity of the glass screen and think 1-star reviews. These days we live in a world that values an open transparency of what we all get up to. Not only have we gratuitously shared of our own private lives via social platforms but, along the way, businesses started to do the same. Remember the days when we began to see behind-the-scenes posts of technicians at work or the effervescent office parties that we had never seen before? And with this ease of equality comes a tendency for unhappy customers to more easily express themselves. And what better expression than a 1-star review given?

But amidst myriad 5-star reviews, one could say that a 1-star review is just a tiny little star, isn’t it?

In the 13 years that we have proudly been in business, Jason has received a superflous amount of positive feedback. In our early years, we simply used the phone to ensure that our clients had been happy with the service. Many clients have been really happy with Jason’s expertise, clear explanation of what he has done, good tips for items that they are to keep an eye on, his punctuality, and overall, he really is a friendly, lovable guy (not gonna lie, he is my husband for a reason. I am a bit biased). Some clients even spontaneousely sent in an email to us and many of these were happily added onto our Testimonials Page on our website, which I loved to update every year.

And then came the day we dared venture into the world of Facebook Reviews and soon afterwards, Google Reviews. Would the feedback show its true colours? Requesting public feedback was really putting ourselves ‘out there’. But I have to say that our public reviews have still been more than wonderful, for which we are eternally grateful.

So when we have received the odd 1-star review, here and there, we absolutely take it seriously. Before I went into business with Jason, I worked in Customer Relations (this is just another word for ‘complaints’) and my days consisted of hearing upset people in my ear all day, every day. It was a challenging job but I thrived in it because my heart goes out to any person who is – at the end of the day – just having a hard day. Life can be hard and at such times, perhaps that person is struggling with ill health, broken relationships, lack of access to care, etc. It is not worth our time or trouble to entertain it as a personal attack on our business because most often, it is not.

So here is my take from my previous work background: From this standpoint, you as the owner of the your busienss are the best person to answer that 1-star review, knowing that you are a positive voice amidst the noise. You will also instill confidence in anyone else reading your response, them gaining insight into your readiness to solve issues. It is your confident response that continues to bring customers to you.

So we don’t ignore the odd 1-star review that we receive. We investigate and get to the bottom of things. So as strange as it may sound, I am actually very thankful for the odd 1-star review because, otherwise, we would not know for a very long time that there was a problem! If you are in business, think of it this way – it is an opportunity to show your grit, tenacity and diligence to your work and your service.

In saying all that, if you did send us an enquiry and haven’t heard back within 48 hours, please do not hesitate to phone us or send us a direct email – eae@exactautoelectrics.com. We will be more than appreciative and we always look forward to being of service to you!