Does Service Trump The Product?
A friend of of mine and I decided that we would get together for brunch this weekend. We live on opposite ends of the metro, so we settled on a popular area about halfway in between. My friend offered up several dining suggestions and asked my opinion.
Since I had never been to any of the restaurants, I did the next best thing. I Googled them. After a quick scan of the restaurants' websites, I was able to whittle the choices down to two options. Then I dove straight into the restaurant reviews on Yelp.
Ratings were pretty much on par for both; they had decent food and reasonable prices. They also each had a few key menu items that they were known for and considered "must trys".
But in my five minute of research, one stood out as the clear winner. Why?
The other one had overwhelmingly negative reviews for their service. And after reading a dozen comments right in a row that said the same thing, the only thing I could think was "Why would I spent my money here?" Not only did I not pick that place, those reviews ensured that I would NEVER pick it.
Restaurants are pretty easy example where I think service plays a key role in their ability to build and maintain a customer base. If you don't like the service, there are usually plenty of other options. But for products or services that are more scarce, are you willing to overlook a crummy service experience to be able to secure that sexy new contraption?
What's more important to you? The experience or the product?
(photo credit rbnlsn)
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Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 1:41PM Christy Smith 2 Comments in Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service tagged customer experience
Reader Comments (2)
I guess reviews on the internet are ok, but it seems to me that most people only use them when they have a really negative experience. For instance, there are many places I like, a lot, but I just haven't found the time to write a positive review about each and every one.
However, if I have a negative experience, I'm sure to write a review.
Don't know how valid this line of thought is, but this is how I look at it. :)
Hi Jon! You bring up an excellent point. I think it is basic human nature where we spread news of negative experiences far more often than our positive experiences. I know that I am guilty of that myself, so I have challenged myself that when I do have an extraordinarily good experience somewhere, I take the time to give that feedback. (It is very sad how surprised a manager will look when I start raving about great service- because he/she was clearly expecting me to do some ranting instead.)
In the instance I outlined for this post, there was a good dose of positive reviews mixed in with the negative for the place I choose. The one I didn't- it was overwhelmingly negative. I'd probably go with a place that had no reviews (in way implying that the place wasn't bad enough to complain about-lol) than a place with a bunch of negative too.
Thanks so much for stopping by and joining the conversation!