Graham, a retiree in South Australia first heard about Word Of Mouth Online when he went into a computer store to get his computer fixed.
“I first heard about WOMO when we had a computer repaired from SMC Computers. I saw that they had received for the WOMO Best Business award in 2009 and after quizzing the owner regarding the award and receiving lots of information about WOMO, I went online and wrote my first review and I’ve been hooked ever since!”
Since joining in 2010, Graham has written over 170 reviews for all types of business and have found a few gems himself.
“I think WOMO.com.au is a fantastic concept. I enjoy reading about other people’s experience because I believe it’s one of the best ways to choose a business. TV advertising, Radio advertising and all the traditional types of advertising is all about the companies talking about themselves. They’re boring and repetitive, and I rarely choose a business based on what they have to say about themselves. But when you read the comments left by someone who has used the business and experienced their service, explaining why they liked or disliked the business, that’s reliable. The more detailed the review the better because you get more insights to the business, which is why when I’m writing review, I try to give as much detail as I can.”
One of the most common misconceptions that businesses have about reviewers on WOMO is that negative reviews are abundant and that those customers are just out to get the business. In fact, less than 7% of all reviews on WOMO are negative. Graham is like that majority of reviewers on WOMO, in that most of the reviews he writes are actually neutral to positive reviews.
“I prefer to write positive reviews because I find that most businesses try really hard and would bend over backwards to help their customers. In the rare occasion when I experience very poor service, I try to give perspective customers as much information as I can about why I wasn’t impressed with the business. Then they can make up their own minds. I think that when negative reviews are written, it gives businesses a great opportunity to know what they’re doing wrong and hopefully lead to them lifting their game.”
As a prolific reviewer, Graham has some good advice for businesses.
“I’ve written a lot of reviews and what I really love is when businesses take the time to respond to my review. I wrote a review for a restaurant in Perth and a few months later received a message from the owner thanking me for the review! It was just a fantastic feeling to know that the business read my review and also took the time to respond to me! I would like to see more businesses do that. All they need to do is say thanks for the review!”
Responding to reviews gives businesses the opportunity to provide more information about their products and services, and people will also get a little glimpse into your after-sales service and an idea of who they will be dealing with when they choose your business. Not only to do customers feel appreciated, but businesses will also be communicating with many more people who find their profile online (their potential customers). Graham believes that customer reviews are the way of the future and that they’re the best way for customers to choose between good and bad businesses.
“I think word of mouth carries far more weight than thousands of dollars spent on advertising. Businesses should focus on how to utilise the power of customer reviews to benefit their business.”
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