Welcoming transparent feedback
The more you hear something, the more you believe it. This week’s bias is the illusory truth effect, and we‘ll be explaining how it works with our friend Joanne. We all know a Joanne.
Bias #2 in action
Scenario: Your friend is travelling to Italy to meet her online boyfriend.
You hear Joanne is travelling to Sardinia to visit an Italian stud she met on a dating website. You’re a bit skeptical.
Another friend tells you the same story, but you still can’t be sure. Joanne isn’t usually so impulsive. Now you’ve heard it from three different friends — it must be true.
This goes against what you know of Joanne. But three friends with the same claim has you convinced. Word of mouth is a powerful tool, but how do we use this online?
Digital bias #2 in action
Scenario: You have a beauty salon and you’re unsure whether to use reviews or testimonials on the website.
Let’s start with the difference between a review and a testimonial. Reviews give customers an open platform to give a product or service their feedback. Testimonials are feedback collected and managed by the product or service.
Not every manicure will be perfect. Negative feedback is always possible, even for the most successful of businesses. Testimonials give the ability to take out negative feedback. This might sound ideal, but this means they lack the transparency that reviews give.
A beauty salon isn’t just a place to preen your eyebrows, get a relaxing massage and remove unwanted hairs. It’s somewhere for clients to have a cup of tea, have a chat and feel special. It’s a place that values honesty and authenticity.
Reviews give a human quality. No smoke. No mirrors. No filters. If you get a bad review — so what? It gives you the chance to put it right and show good customer service.
When you trust your customers to share their experiences, you earn their trust in return. Encourage real feedback and your business will be as buzzing as the single men in Sardinia.
Up next: Making the new familiar
