Are reviews fake news? According to the latest Praxidia study, 31% of French people no longer trust customer reviews. Fakereviews have made their way onto the web. So how do we fight? How to propose, or read reliable reviews?
The importance of proof of purchase to verify notices
The first element that specialists mention to certify a customer opinion is proof of purchase. It can take many forms.
In the form of an attachment
It can be a simple photo of the product. If you use customer feedback software, this option is often offered.
In addition, an application of blockchain technology can be found in tracing customer reviews. “The blockchain is a technology for storing and transmitting information, transparent, secure, and operating withouta central controlbody,” according to the official definition. Okay, great. And more clearly?
It’s simply the fact that the traceability of customer reviews guarantees their authenticity: if you can go back to the purchase, it’s good! If it is not a photo, we can find other proof of purchase such as an invoice for example, which will not be made public, but which is requested to the one who files a notice. But isn’t there a simpler solution?
Solicit the customer after the purchase
Simply, solicit the customer after the purchase. It’s a simple way to get both:
- More customer reviews (because not just spontaneous reviews)
- Reliable reviews, since solicitations are sent only to customers, after a purchase, an order, etc.
To do this, you will need to call on a trusted third party, and set up satisfaction surveys. As well as campaigns to disseminate them. Thus, no supporting documents are essential!
What is a trusted third party?
Trust is a major issue for a business, as we have already mentioned in this article.
A quick definition
A trusted third party is an agent who will embody a certain neutrality. Let me explain…
On a day-to-day basis, we all go through “trusted third parties.” A notary, for example, who acts as an intermediary between two parties.
For customer reviews, this is a specialized company, which will certify that the reviews are shown exhaustively (the bad reviews are not ruled out), and that they all come from the customers themselves!
Why choose a trusted third party to manage your customer reviews
The passage through a trusted third party:
- reassures your customers when buying (e.g. by having an icon on your site)
- guarantees you reliable and actionable reviews
- makes your life easier by analysing the trends of reviews on a dashboard at your disposal.
Finally, why are fake reviews so harmful? The answer in one last paragraph…
Watch out for your e-reputation!
The e-reputation of your brand, of your company is not to be overlooked. In October 2019, the Sunday Riley (cosmetics) brand paid the price. She was accused of having her employees write false notices on the Sephora.com website.
As far as customer reviews are concerned, an e-reputation is built and destroyed very quickly. Indeed, for Nathalie Gardes, a professor-researcher at the University of Bordeaux, “the truth, is others.”
However, the phenomenon of false opinions deserves to be put into perspective. For example, according to a ReviewMeta study, only 8% of Amazon reviews can be classified as “suspicious,” compared to the 1/3 advertised by the media.
It can also be very powerful to offer, at the end of a systematic survey after purchase, to the contributor to publish his opinion on Facebook or on the Google My Business of the company as well as the spontaneous opinions contained in it – including the over-representation of extremes is characteristic will be diluted in true guaranteed and representative opinions. This solution can be found, for example, following inquiries by I Feedback Now.
Thus, if their control deserves special attention, customer reviews are above all a real opportunity. Or even a commercial technique, just like other branches of marketing!
Discover now our solutions to harvest them in complete serenity !