Google reviews – the petulant last hoorah of the disaffected and defeated or a legitimate means to bring poor service and inappropriate conduct to public attention?

I found myself pondering this question today when I happened upon our fair to middling Google review score, not that I usually have much time for such highbrow musings.

Given the huge efforts that my colleagues and I go to in order to provide a first rate and unequalled service to our members, I was shocked, stunned and amazed to see that we have a less than perfect batting average.

Mortified, I then took the time to interrogate a not unsubstantial number of the reviews in slightly more depth to find the split is mainly between 5*s and 1*. Opinion is clearly divided between reverence and revulsion.

On further scrutiny, it became apparent to me that almost all of the 1* entries are patently from disaffected and embittered consumers/opponents or their mates or some bloke down the pub or some random bag lady or anyone else that wants to vent their spleen all over the gaff.

It then occurred to me that we must be doing something right if these characters feel compelled to critique us, since it doubtless means they have been on the sharp end of a robust and compelling defence of our members’ legitimate position and dare I say ‘motor traders’ rights’, which has left the vanquished with nothing to offer but bile and vitriol.

As with many things, it’s all about the ‘context’ and in this context, I shall now take 1* as a badge of honour.