Service industries where Customer Reviews Matter Most (some surprising results!)

If you run a business, you probably already realise that customer satisfaction is the single most important key to your success.  But we were wondering which industries customers most want reviews to select the businesses they use. 

We analysed our search results and have here the top 20 types of services that Australian consumers care most about – so much so that they conducted between 5,000 and 50,000 category searches on WOMO.com.au in just 3 months!

20 Industries Consumers Most Want Business Reviews

1. Hairdressers	11. Pizza Places
2. Bakeries & Cake Shops	12. Cafes
3. Dentists	13. Mechanics & Service Centres
4. Doctors & Surgeons	14. Massage & Remedial Therapists
5. Childcare & Pre School Centres	15. Beauty Therapists
6. Fish & Chips	16. Thai Restaurants
7. Obstetricians & Gynecologists	17. Dog Washing & Grooming
8. Nail Salons	18. Burgers & Take-Away
9. Play Centres	19. Japanese & Sushi Bars
10. Chinese Restaurants	20. House Cleaners

There are some clear themes in what Australian consumers want…

• Firstly, our quest for beauty is insatiable with hairdressers, beauty therapists and nail salons all featuring high on the list.  
• Secondly, our health is an area we don’t want to muck around!  We want trusted professionals that have the evidence of strong customer reviews to prove they’re good quality.  Doctors, dentists, and not surprisingly, obstetricians and gynecologists rank very highly.
• Thirdly, eating out is a serious endeavour for Australian consumers. We don’t want to risk bad take-away or a meal out.  We’re looking for restaurants, cafes and take-away places that other customers love.
• Not surprisingly, businesses related to the care and upbringing of our children rank highly on our list of importance.  Our pets also feature in a similar way.
• The care of our vehicles and houses is also extremely important (and perhaps hard to get right).  Mechanics and house cleaners are both industries that don’t have the best of reputations yet we have to trust them with our most valuable possessions.  Good businesses in these industries are raking in new customers.

No doubt some industries appear in the top searches because the standards in the industry are particularly low (and we’re searching for better).  Others appear because we’re fussier about these types of services.  

But what is certain is that the businesses in these industries (and related) with great customer reviews are attracting a lot more customers.  Online customer reviews are the tangible proof that gives businesses the best indicator of the quality of service.  Customers are relying on word of mouth online to make decisions about the businesses they use in all areas of life.