On line reviews

[tractor]

Do you pay much attention to them? There was a time where them seemed to have some useful information, now they mostly seem to be people bitching about the fact that they weren't treated like royalty everywhere they went.

I'm pretty easy going/accepting of what's going on (labor shortages, etc), I also don't fill out in line reviews because I'm too lazy 😊

My wife and I just booked a cruise for our family, if I would have believed everything I read, we would have been better off going on a drunken spree and spending time in jail to get better food and accommodations.

[daisylu]

I take them with a grain of salt. If there are a lot of people complaining about the same things that seems like a warning. And I think you can usually tell by the way they are written who the people are who are expecting way to much for the price they are willing to pay.

I am also terrible about writing reviews, mostly because I am lazy. If I am happier with a product than I expected to be I will write a review. Restaurants and stuff like that I pass, both on reading reviews and leaving them.

[TheOtherMe]

I leave reviews on my etsy purchases.  I do find those helpful.  

Otherwise I only leave local reviews for the most part.  I do think in a small town those do help small businesses.  

I do leave reviews on Tripadvisor.  Generally the reviews are good so if I leave a bad one, something negative did happen.

I read in the Boulder paper yesterday where someone left a negative review.  She was giving bread and bakery items by her realtor as a house warming gift.  The bread was so stale she couldn't cut it.  She did call the bakery and give them the opportunity to fix it.  They didn't so she left a 1 star review.

She immediately received a threatening voice mail that if the review was not taken down in 10 minutes, she and her family would be living in fear and should watch their step.

It's now a criminal case because the owner followed up with more threatening voice mails.

[Tiny]

I do look at reviews for products - but I skip over the ones (good or bad) that basically say "I loved/hated" whatever is being reviewed without any pros/cons ABOUT the product/service they received.

I like reviews that include info about the product (confirms the size of it, says something about the how the product was made if appropriate, something about the quality of that production if appropriate, how different was the color from what was expected, you get the idea. ) Or reviews that include what the reviewer looked for in the product and why it met or did not meet their expectations.


I usually don't bother with reviews about restaurants or any sort of "service" type place. But I might browse looking for info on parking or how the dining room is set up (is the outdoor seating basically an after thought and therefore uncomfortable - or has it been set up thoughtfully?), is it really noisy because of the vast echo-y "great room" and 100 people dining along with loud background music? basically anything that's NOT about the service or the food. for a service type place - any mentions about the "waiting room" or what in store items are available.... hopefully you get the idea.

[wvugurl26]

I definitely take them with a grain of salt. In many cases I've found the reviewer had unrealistic expectations or they are complaining about something that doesn't impact me.

I don't write many reviews. I've had a local acquaintance threatened for her accurate reviews of a local car lot.

I'm also turned off from writing reviews because of what I've heard regarding surveys from multiple companies. It doesn't matter unless they get a 10/perfect marks. To me, that should be the score for going above and beyond. That's not a score I would give for just a satisfactory encounter.

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

Mar 20, 2023 11:41:10 GMT -5 daisylu said:

I take them with a grain of salt. If there are a lot of people complaining about the same things that seems like a warning. And I think you can usually tell by the way they are written who the people are who are expecting way to much for the price they are willing to pay.

I am also terrible about writing reviews, mostly because I am lazy. If I am happier with a product than I expected to be I will write a review. Restaurants and stuff like that I pass, both on reading reviews and leaving them.

I don't leave reviews, and I don't do surveys. As far as I am concerned, it is another snippet of information about you that you are voluntarily giving up. Maybe that isn't true, but I would rather just not do it. I don't believe for a single minute that an anonymous survey is actually anonymous.


I do read reviews and like daisy, I take them with a grain of salt.

[thyme4change]

I agree with [mention]atsiaru [/mention] - if you look for specifics, you can get some information. I try to leave reviews where I say what exactly made me think the service or product was bad. Subjective gets 2 grains of salt, objective gets 1 grain of salt. Did they say the server was rude or did they say that it took 12 minutes to get a menu? Both are bad service - one is harder to dispute. Did they say that the product “looked cheap” or did they say that it was plexiglass, not glass? I also like when people do both pro’s and con’s. “It was cute and as described, but it wasn’t sturdy and got shaky when I put a 5 pound item on it.” Now I know if I am looking for a cute shelf for light objects, it may still be okay.

[toomuchreality]

Mar 20, 2023 11:29:58 GMT -5 tractor said:

Do you pay much attention to them? There was a time where them seemed to have some useful information, now they mostly seem to be people bitching about the fact that they weren't treated like royalty everywhere they went.

I'm pretty easy going/accepting of what's going on (labor shortages, etc), I also don't fill out in line reviews because I'm too lazy 😊

My wife and I just booked a cruise for our family, if I would have believed everything I read, we would have been better off going on a drunken spree and spending time in jail to get better food and accommodations.

Depends on what the product or the service is.
I don't leave a lot of reviews. But I do leave them on occasion. Especially if I have had very good, or very bad service.
I'd rather talk to a manager, or supervisor directly and compliment or tell them why I'm not happy.
I'd rather compliment than complain.
I did and trained customer service for many years, so I feel like I know what's good, or bad.
Don't give me shit and tell me it's Shinola!

[bean29]

When I am buying clothing and shoes on line, I absolutely do read the reviews.  What I am looking for is sizing information - does it run true to size or does it run large or small.  It helps me know what size to order.

I was sorry I did not pay attention to the review for flooring we recently bought at Lowes.  We bought a Stairmaster Laminate flooring that was supposed to be waterproof.  Many reviews complaining about it warping.  My fingers are crossed that we do not have issues.  We are putting it in a bedroom, so we don't expect much occasion for water spillage.  But, many of the reviews complained about issues with the flooring chipping and cracking during installation.  My Husband was about 1/3 of the way through installation and I had gone to church and dinner with my Mom.  I told Mom that DH had not had any problems with the installation and that he must just be very good at the installation because he had not had that issue, only to go home and have DH have that issue.  The row that chipped was one over from the one he was installing and he was on the last piece for that row, so he had to disassemble 2 rows of flooring and it just does not want to come apart once it is together.  We also had 2 boxes were they marked a piece defective and still packed it in the box.  

My DD had warned me when we had barely started that there were many bad reviews on the flooring.  I told DH that one guy had said in his review that he was a good way into the project and he disassembled everything and took the flooring back to the store.  DH considered doing the same, but he decided to keep going.  He finished yesterday, and our fingers are crossed that it lasts awhile.

Because I read the reviews, I often try to leave reviews for others to get information.  I plan to review the flooring too.  We only had one plank left, so DH used the two defective ones for pieces he needed, but I think it is inexcusable for them to knowingly sell defective products.

[daisylu]

Mar 20, 2023 12:50:01 GMT -5 bean29 said:

When I am buying clothing and shoes on line, I absolutely do read the reviews.  What I am looking for is sizing information - does it run true to size or does it run large or small.  It helps me know what size to order.

I was sorry I did not pay attention to the review for flooring we recently bought at Lowes.  We bought a Stairmaster Laminate flooring that was supposed to be waterproof.  Many reviews complaining about it warping.  My fingers are crossed that we do not have issues.  We are putting it in a bedroom, so we don't expect much occasion for water spillage.  But, many of the reviews complained about issues with the flooring chipping and cracking during installation.  My Husband was about 1/3 of the way through installation and I had gone to church and dinner with my Mom.  I told Mom that DH had not had any problems with the installation and that he must just be very good at the installation because he had not had that issue, only to go home and have DH have that issue.  The row that chipped was one over from the one he was installing and he was on the last piece for that row, so he had to disassemble 2 rows of flooring and it just does not want to come apart once it is together.  We also had 2 boxes were they marked a piece defective and still packed it in the box.  

My DD had warned me when we had barely started that there were many bad reviews on the flooring.  I told DH that one guy had said in his review that he was a good way into the project and he disassembled everything and took the flooring back to the store.  DH considered doing the same, but he decided to keep going.  He finished yesterday, and our fingers are crossed that it lasts awhile.

Because I read the reviews, I often try to leave reviews for others to get information.  I plan to review the flooring too.  We only had one plank left, so DH used the two defective ones for pieces he needed, but I think it is inexcusable for them to knowingly sell defective products.

I am glad that we ruled that flooring out right away. What we are using will be costly, but I am confident that what we are using will last. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Yes, I do look at them pretty seriously, but I like to think I'm decent at filtering them. 
Our older son, before he and his wife had a child, was a dedicated Google reviewer. He had some kind of official badge or ranking. 
I really appreciate people who take the time to leave reviews. Someday, I might start doing that. 

[resolution]

I love the Amazon reviews that have pictures or videos of the product, especially cat toys. I have no idea why people take videos of their cats and post them to Amazon reviews, but I am deeply appreciative. A lot of the cat trees are smaller than they look in the official pictures, so it is nice to see normal people's cats on them to get an idea if my cat will fit. I also pay attention to the pictures of how people's cats have torn things to bits within a week of purchase. My older cat takes good care of his toys and beds, but the kitten will tear through anything as soon as it arrives. We have been repairing a lot of cat toys/trees in the last six months or so.

For things like hotels where there are a lot of them in the same general price range, I use the reviews for tie breakers.

[wvugurl26]

Last night I was switching laundry from washer to dryer and it made me think of the reviews I read before we purchased the set. Multiple people complained the washer drum was too deep. That might be important to some but it was not to me. You definitely have to filter out what is important to you.

People also complained about the dryer buzzer. Either they had severe hearing impairments or got a defective one. I have it on the lowest setting and I can hear it 2 floors up.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I look for trends/patterns.  If I see the same complaints over and over again there is probably something to it.   

Others I ignore like there were several bitching about the place we stay in Estes not allowing them to use the fire pit and rated them one star because of it.  It was the year when wild fires were out of control.  So of course you can't use it you moron.

The other I ignore is no A/C.  Most places up there, especially the older cabins do not have air conditioning.  It is very rare that it gets hot enough up there to warrant fitting all the cabins for it.  You can search for hotels by A/C on the Estes Park website.  If it is that important to you then do your homework on it.  Don't get pissy you chose to stay in a place that clearly states they have no A/C.

[bean29]

Mar 20, 2023 13:43:20 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Mar 20, 2023 12:50:01 GMT -5 bean29 said:

When I am buying clothing and shoes on line, I absolutely do read the reviews.  What I am looking for is sizing information - does it run true to size or does it run large or small.  It helps me know what size to order.

I was sorry I did not pay attention to the review for flooring we recently bought at Lowes.  We bought a Stairmaster Laminate flooring that was supposed to be waterproof.  Many reviews complaining about it warping.  My fingers are crossed that we do not have issues.  We are putting it in a bedroom, so we don't expect much occasion for water spillage.  But, many of the reviews complained about issues with the flooring chipping and cracking during installation.  My Husband was about 1/3 of the way through installation and I had gone to church and dinner with my Mom.  I told Mom that DH had not had any problems with the installation and that he must just be very good at the installation because he had not had that issue, only to go home and have DH have that issue.  The row that chipped was one over from the one he was installing and he was on the last piece for that row, so he had to disassemble 2 rows of flooring and it just does not want to come apart once it is together.  We also had 2 boxes were they marked a piece defective and still packed it in the box.  

My DD had warned me when we had barely started that there were many bad reviews on the flooring.  I told DH that one guy had said in his review that he was a good way into the project and he disassembled everything and took the flooring back to the store.  DH considered doing the same, but he decided to keep going.  He finished yesterday, and our fingers are crossed that it lasts awhile.

Because I read the reviews, I often try to leave reviews for others to get information.  I plan to review the flooring too.  We only had one plank left, so DH used the two defective ones for pieces he needed, but I think it is inexcusable for them to knowingly sell defective products.

I am glad that we ruled that flooring out right away. What we are using will be costly, but I am confident that what we are using will last. 

Are you doing a hardwood?  DH wants to put hardwood in the Livingroom.  I did not see anything I liked in the Home Depot I was in last night, but I did see a sign that said you can refinish the Hardwoods with the Engineered hardwood flooring.  I had not decided if I would rip out the hardwood in the dining room, or maybe we could just have the wood re-stained to match the newer flooring. I went in for a new closet rod, b/c we slightly changed the configuration of the closet.  The had hardly any ready made blinds and very little flooring selection.  The store by my house has a lot more.  I did not look at window coverings there, but I am pretty sure the Lowes by my house has more window treatments too.  The window in DD's room had a vertical blind on it.  It is still in fairly good condition, but I am aware that the are supposed to be very out of style.  What is in style now?  Does anyone know?  Is it cellular shades.  The Home Depot I was in only had vinyl blinds and wood blinds (horizontal).  I know people are using a lot of drapes, but I was going to put a cellular shade on the window and then DD can pick out some kind of drapes for the window treatment.  We also will need to purchase a rug.

[daisylu]

Mar 21, 2023 9:37:05 GMT -5 bean29 said:

Mar 20, 2023 13:43:20 GMT -5 daisylu said:

I am glad that we ruled that flooring out right away. What we are using will be costly, but I am confident that what we are using will last. 

Are you doing a hardwood?  DH wants to put hardwood in the Livingroom.  I did not see anything I liked in the Home Depot I was in last night, but I did see a sign that said you can refinish the Hardwoods with the Engineered hardwood flooring.  I had not decided if I would rip out the hardwood in the dining room, or maybe we could just have the wood re-stained to match the newer flooring. I went in for a new closet rod, b/c we slightly changed the configuration of the closet.  The had hardly any ready made blinds and very little flooring selection.  The store by my house has a lot more.  I did not look at window coverings there, but I am pretty sure the Lowes by my house has more window treatments too.  The window in DD's room had a vertical blind on it.  It is still in fairly good condition, but I am aware that the are supposed to be very out of style.  What is in style now?  Does anyone know?  Is it cellular shades.  The Home Depot I was in only had vinyl blinds and wood blinds (horizontal).  I know people are using a lot of drapes, but I was going to put a cellular shade on the window and then DD can pick out some kind of drapes for the window treatment.  We also will need to purchase a rug.

We are doing laminate plank, and decided to go with a Pergo with the highest AC rating. All of our current floors are carpet or linoleum. With the underlayment and trim we are likely looking around $7-8,000.

On the shades, I think a lot of people are going cellular. We were going to replace our bedroom blinds last year. Took them down and trashed them, and then had a hard time finding the right size. We ended up giving up on blinds in the bedroom as we use blackout curtains anyway, and the way the sun rises it come through those windows and shines toward the opposite side of the room so we will likely stick with that.

[Artemis Windsong]

My online purchases are mostly clothes so I read the size guide and reviews.

I usually leave a review.

[Pink Cashmere]

Mar 20, 2023 11:29:58 GMT -5 tractor said:

Do you pay much attention to them? There was a time where them seemed to have some useful information, now they mostly seem to be people bitching about the fact that they weren't treated like royalty everywhere they went.

I'm pretty easy going/accepting of what's going on (labor shortages, etc), I also don't fill out in line reviews because I'm too lazy 😊

My wife and I just booked a cruise for our family, if I would have believed everything I read, we would have been better off going on a drunken spree and spending time in jail to get better food and accommodations.

I do tend to read reviews. I don’t necessarily believe all the reviews I read, but IME, reviews are often helpful if you make an effort to weed out the nonsense.

If something I’m researching has a lot of bad reviews that seem logical, I tend to avoid that specific thing and look for something else. OTOH, if something has thousands of gushing reviews, I tend to consider that suspect, because some companies offer perks for posting a positive review of their product or service. 

Like someone else said, I read reviews of clothing, when it’s a brand I’m unfamiliar with or an item I’m not too sure would be flattering for my body type. I especially value the reviews from people that include their height and weight, or something about their body type in their reviews. I also read reviews on shoes, because my feet are very picky about shoes they like. If several reviews mention something that I know my feet won’t like, I move on to something else. That has saved me from wasting a lot of money on clothes and shoes that won’t work for me. 

As much as I use reviews as a tool when I’m considering spending my money, I should probably “give back” by posting reviews myself. Imma work on it lol.

[Opti]

Mar 21, 2023 7:41:02 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

Last night I was switching laundry from washer to dryer and it made me think of the reviews I read before we purchased the set. Multiple people complained the washer drum was too deep. That might be important to some but it was not to me. You definitely have to filter out what is important to you.

People also complained about the dryer buzzer. Either they had severe hearing impairments or got a defective one. I have it on the lowest setting and I can hear it 2 floors up.

That's an excellent point. I mostly read reviews for clothing, shoes, and things like humidifiers. I was just wearing a pair of shoes that I bought in spite of the reviews knowing they probably had a point. I wanted warmer sneakers for fall/winter and NB had a version made with nubuck which would be warmer. It was also stiffer and likely to be less comfortable which was reflected in the reviews. For example, if people rated the usual sneakers a 5 they rated the nubuck version a 4. I think I agree with them, but I am glad I bought them anyway as it was a way to learn and understand that changes in materials in the upper of a shoe or sandal really did affect how I experienced the item and how useful it was to me as footwear.

These nubuck shoes are OK for me for a few hours but generally not comfortable as everyday wear as the regular sneakers. 

[daisylu]

Saturday, DH and I went looking for a large tool set at Tractor Supply that the website said they had 8 of. We got there and could not find it. An older lady in customer service and a younger boy tried their best to help, but there system did not specify where it was in the store. They did not give up. I eventually found it as I was roaming the store when DH was tied up with them.

It made me think of this thread, and how I should do more reviews. I did get their names and contacted corporate to let them know how much help they were. Customer service is difficult on a good day, so we appreciated all that they did. I also called the store this morning and let the manager on duty know how much we appreciated those employees. I hope it gets back to them. I know that some corporations will reward employees who get good reviews. I will be doing that more often.

[TheOtherMe]

I have always wondered if the woman in the mammogram department got the recognition she deserved when I had the brilliant idea to go ahead with my mammogram between my mom's death and her funeral.  She asked me if I had plans for Memorial Day and I said I was going to be attending my mother's visitation and funeral and fell into her arms crying.   

She took me to a private room and told me to just cry.  She did not have to do that.

[Artemis Windsong]

Mar 27, 2023 11:38:16 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Saturday, DH and I went looking for a large tool set at Tractor Supply that the website said they had 8 of. We got there and could not find it. An older lady in customer service and a younger boy tried their best to help, but there system did not specify where it was in the store. They did not give up. I eventually found it as I was roaming the store when DH was tied up with them.

It made me think of this thread, and how I should do more reviews. I did get their names and contacted corporate to let them know how much help they were. Customer service is difficult on a good day, so we appreciated all that they did. I also called the store this morning and let the manager on duty know how much we appreciated those employees. I hope it gets back to them. I know that some corporations will reward employees who get good reviews. I will be doing that more often.

Sear was one of the worst.  They would advertise a dremel tool at a very reduced price.  The shopper would go in and see big, shiny dremels at 3 times the price.  Most customers would grab one, pay the price and get on with the day.

H. and I decided they had to have ONE of those dremels in the store.  We searched every shelf, front to back.  The dremel was found in the back of a shelf on an aisle no one would think to look.  We bought it.

I'm fortunate that I have everything I need.