Would You Remove Feedback?

[cabanafrau]

I don't shop on Amazon, but I often review hotels and restaurants on Trip Advisor. I am always impressed when a manager contacts me directly to in response to something I've posted, and I make an effort to go back into my review and update it with the manager's response. It takes awhile... I think Trip Advisor makes you wait a month to update a posting, but I try to remember to do it. Good customer service is good customer service, even if it happens after the fact. Anyhow... there's no way I'd remove my feedback, but I would try to edit it to say that the company contacted me and offered a discount in response to my post.

That's interesting, I've never noticed anyone commenting about what a manager said. I have seen plenty of manager responses to posts on the site, and always make note when the manager gives their contact info and asks the poster to get in touch so they may discuss their issue, even if it's just to improve service in the future.

I do however ding points where a "manager" replies to every post, good or bad, and the reply is the same canned response -- always ignoring any complaints or issues the customer may have had. I give those places wide berth because if they're dumb enough to put a complete lack of customer responsive service out there in black and white on the internet for God and everybody to see, you know they won't care how they treat you face to face where there's probably no one to see it.

 

[MIGrandma]

I do however ding points where a "manager" replies to every post, good or bad, and the reply is the same canned response -- always ignoring any complaints or issues the customer may have had. I give those places wide berth because if they're dumb enough to put a complete lack of customer responsive service out there in black and white on the internet for God and everybody to see, you know they won't care how they treat you face to face where there's probably no one to see it.

I hate those kind of hotel review canned responses too, why even bother with those if they aren't going to give a personal response? When they give personal responses then I feel they truly do care about their customers. Same for restaurants. Even worse is when there are dozens and dozens of customer comments/reviews and not one single manager response. Then I feel the manager/owner of the restaurant doesn't care about people's opinions at all.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

DH likes Goody's Orange Headache Powders and can't buy them here, so we order them once or twice a year from Amazon. I recently ordered another 3-pack (each box has 24 tiny envelopes of the powder) and the package arrived a couple weeks ago, on time. I had an e-mail wanting me to leave feedback, which I generally do. I gave them a 4 out of 5 star rating and said the product is great and arrived on time, my only issue was the packaging. It was a very slimsy envelope (not padded, no bubble wrapping inside, etc.) and one of the three boxes was crushed and opened. All of the contents of the box were accounted for, which I said in my review. I said it would be nice if they would upgrade their packaging.

I received a reply back from them asking if it would help if they gave me a 50% refund, they were sorry the package arrived in unacceptable condition, etc.

I immediately replied that no, I did not need nor did I ever expect any kind of refund. The product inside the boxes was fine, the only issue was the flimsy packaging. I thought that would be the end of it.

I received another reply from them today asking me to remove my "negative" feedback as that brings their rating down. Would you remove the feedback?

Is this company 3rd party selling through Amazon?

I would be contacting Amazon with this. Reason I say this is because that is totally a bad business practice to request a person remove their post because it was bringing down their ratings. I think it's one thing if the post had incorrect information and the site the business used had a policy for incorrect information (which can hurt the business) but really it sounds like they want glowing reviews to reflect on Amazon. A good honest true company is willing to accept all reviews instead of wanting just 5 stars (of course I understand a business's frustration if in the review is incorrect information but that's not what happened here).

I see no problem in admending your original review with what the company initially requested (ETA: meaning offering you the 50% refund) but outside of the review I still would be contacting Amazon on the request to remove a below 5-star rating.

 

[nkereina]

I feel it would be dishonest. Obviously you don't.

IMO, it would be dishonest if you lied or embellished the issue and then they offered you the refund and you took it. You stated the problem as it was and they offered you a partial refund as a courtesy or form of customer service. I would have taken it too. But that's all besides the point. I agree with PPs that I also would not change the review, and I'm actually surprised they had the nerve to ask you that! Your review provided them with constructive criticism, something they can change in the future if they want to so it was legitimate. And frankly, as another consumer, a review saying the packaging was flimsy wouldn't deter me from buying it anyway.

 

[MataHari22]

I would not remove it, but I would update it, since they did offer to make it right.

I had this happen. I ordered something and they sent the wrong product. I dinged them on the review, and they offered to give me a refund if I removed the feedback. I said sure, since I could not get what was advertised. They did not credit it me, so I ended up keeping that feedback.

 

[LilyWDW]

You know what would make me not use a company more then a 4 out of 5 review or a comment about packaging? Them asking someone to remove their factual criticism. Because while the OP has not removed their comment/rating... others may have if they were asked to. So what information am I now missing?

 

[Pacolovestacos]

I feel it would be dishonest. Obviously you don't.

It's not really dishonest if the company offered it to you based on your feedback.