The Customer Strikes Back: Do online reviews really matter?

“Intoxicated people, children, and leggings always tell the truth.” – Unknown

As a full-time RVer, I have to be on top of our reservations at least 3 months in advance. You can check out my “being your own travel agent” blogpost here as it covers the general process. So how do I determine where to stay and what to see when we get there? Reviews. Let me say that again….reviews. That’s how important they are. I go over reviews from RV apps and sites, TripAdvisor, google, yelp, and any other place people voice their opinions on the interwebs. I also ask around the campgrounds. It’s not just me, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they do personal recommendations.

Living in the digital age means access to anything you could imagine and some things you would rather not. Reviews of everything from restaurants, retail customer service to Amazon wares, sugar free gummy bears, and Bic pens for women are readily available. The thing is that most reviews are either really good or really bad, 5 stars or zero stars. Believe it or not, I’ve found that there aren’t nearly as many honest mediocre reviews of anything anymore. People either love or hate whatever it is and generally only post reviews when their emotions are running hot or cold. This creates a problem for people like me who have to read between the Karens and figure out what’s real and what’s ridiculousness.

Finding good RV parks and interesting attractions on our travels should be as easy as a few searches and clickthroughs, right? Not so much. The current atmosphere in the country is bitch first and relay facts never or only if pressed for them. This makes it much more research intensive to find and make reservations.

I guess my decision to tackle this subject is borne from the frustration I’ve experienced this week trying to find out the real deal about places we want to visit and have never been. There are so many biased sites and entries that you can find pretty much any opinion. The tourism and park sites present glowing descriptions and near professional photos with glamorous filters or photoshopped removal of reality. The other side of the internet coin trashes the very same places because the reviewer didn’t get something they wanted or their unrealistic expectations weren’t met.

I say all of this to ultimately say please leave reviews; places you liked, disliked, or were merely just ok. Then tell me why…real world facts to back up your opinion not just because someone was rude to you. It’s ok to put that down too, but does Brenda being short with you really mean the place was a dump? Probably not. Should Brenda find a job better suited to her gloomy disposition? Probably yes.

Here is the type of review I would LOVE to see when I’m researching locations.

The park was right off the interstate and easy to find. The roads were narrow and difficult to maneuver with large rigs. The bath houses were clean and not crowded. There was a Walmart and several restaurants close by. The pool was closed for maintenance, but there is a lake on property. Brenda at the front office was rude and unfriendly, but the onsite store next to the office was well stocked with necessities. Overall, the park had level, spacious sites in a beautiful woodsy setting with areas to walk your pets.

Facts and opinions can coexist in a good, honest review. The reviewer got to take a jab at Brenda, but gave solid info that was still helpful. Have you ever read a review and scrolled to the end where a “was this helpful” box popped up for you to check? That’s where you should aspire to collect as many “yes” votes as possible when considering what to post. Just consider them the social media ‘like and follow’ buttons for reviews.

I am a huge fan of reviews. As a customer service manager in my previous life, I know how many negative calls and reviews I used to field. After retiring, I swore that I would give positive feedback every time I received good service or enjoyed an experience. I always ask for the manager on duty in a restaurant when we have an attentive server. I assume that they enjoy not being yelled out every once in awhile as well.

The bottom line is that you should review things online, all the things and all the places. It’s helpful for those looking around the internet for places to go and things to do. I doesn’t take much time and consider how much you may have to rely on a review like yours one day. All I ask is that you be fair and thoughtful. It’s a big ask, I know. It’s also pretty important for those of us who rely on others to not end up in a dump or miss out on a really great place because Brenda had a bad day.