Does anyone else hate online reviews?

[Robert Armerding]

Am I the only one that gets annoyed when whiny people (whining like I am right now) leave negative reviews for stupid stuff? Assuming most of us are B2B businesses, it's never a normal business that does it, it is always some 1 off jerkoff that you have the unfortunate pleasure to have walk through your door.
We mixed up an order, just put the wrong model number in with it but the rest was right. They contacted us, I offered to send a replacement and they said no big deal, then ordered more. Sunday, I see he left a bad review but says in it that the product was great and they would continue using us. I'm rambling here but I see a lot of people on their high horses writing bad reviews for trivial stuff like they are some sort of newspaper columnist. I wish we could opt out of online reviews. You can do $200k/month with normal people and have 1 random guy with his $100 order screw you up

 

[Robert Armerding]

Am I the only one that gets annoyed when whiny people (whining like I am right now) leave negative reviews for stupid stuff? Assuming most of us are B2B businesses, it's never a normal business that does it, it is always some 1 off jerkoff that you have the unfortunate pleasure to have walk through your door.
We mixed up an order, just put the wrong model number in with it but the rest was right. They contacted us, I offered to send a replacement and they said no big deal, then ordered more. Sunday, I see he left a bad review but says in it that the product was great and they would continue using us. I'm rambling here but I see a lot of people on their high horses writing bad reviews for trivial stuff like they are some sort of newspaper columnist. I wish we could opt out of online reviews. You can do $200k/month with normal people and have 1 random guy with his $100 order screw you up.

Listening could be a potential way to resolve this.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Listening could be a potential way to resolve this.

Very insightful information Robert.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Listening could be a potential way to resolve this.

There is something that I have been learning and concluding as I get older and get the feeling that this is not some sort of unique epiphany. When you are younger and starting out, you will go to the end of the earth to make customers happy which does pay off. Nights, weekends, give up vacations, answer the phones at all hours of the night, take your brow beatings like a man, pretty much whatever it takes. In your 20s-30s you really have a lot of drive but eventually you hit a comfort level and that drive diminishes, it turns more into maintenance. Maintain your current income level, keep your bills paid, plan your later in life exit from the rat race and most importantly, maintain your sanity. I can only assume that as time goes on, you begin to have less tolerance for employees, customers and vendors. Not saying to turn into a pig headed my way or the highway guy but your life experiences combined with the fact that your hierarchy of needs are met (food/shelter, companionship, self esteem) you have one part left over and that is yourself. So while listening is very important, sometimes it becomes a battle between that and your sanity and your sanity wins out because of what I said earlier about your needs being met.
When I work with older business owners, many of them have slimmed down and choose to only do what they want to do and deal with who they want to deal with. Maybe 1-2 employees and many times just some part time helper. Earlier in their careers, many of them had some pretty big operations but it sucked the life out of them. They hit that wall and get done with listening to the noise from every direction and every single one of them will say that they don't have any regrets whatsoever with where they are in life. Most are way more content. With that said, you take it and listen for awhile but eventually you have to put yourself at the top. Have you ever seen the Seinfeld soup nazi episode? That is reality that they simply made into a funny bit.

 

[Robert Armerding]

There is something that I have been learning and concluding as I get older and get the feeling that this is not some sort of unique epiphany. When you are younger and starting out, you will go to the end of the earth to make customers happy which does pay off. Nights, weekends, give up vacations, answer the phones at all hours of the night, take your brow beatings like a man, pretty much whatever it takes. In your 20s-30s you really have a lot of drive but eventually you hit a comfort level and that drive diminishes, it turns more into maintenance. Maintain your current income level, keep your bills paid, plan your later in life exit from the rat race and most importantly, maintain your sanity. I can only assume that as time goes on, you begin to have less tolerance for employees, customers and vendors. Not saying to turn into a pig headed my way or the highway guy but your life experiences combined with the fact that your hierarchy of needs are met (food/shelter, companionship, self esteem) you have one part left over and that is yourself. So while listening is very important, sometimes it becomes a battle between that and your sanity and your sanity wins out because of what I said earlier about your needs being met.
When I work with older business owners, many of them have slimmed down and choose to only do what they want to do and deal with who they want to deal with. Maybe 1-2 employees and many times just some part time helper. Earlier in their careers, many of them had some pretty big operations but it sucked the life out of them. They hit that wall and get done with listening to the noise from every direction and every single one of them will say that they don't have any regrets whatsoever with where they are in life. Most are way more content. With that said, you take it and listen for awhile but eventually you have to put yourself at the top. Have you ever seen the Seinfeld soup nazi episode? That is reality that they simply made into a funny bit.

Notarealsignguy One of the motivators to keeping your listening skills sharp is to be able to quickly decide what you do not want to listen to. Or, decide that something has the potential to be very important. If you want to "put yourself at the top" listening is a powerful way to keep you there.

 

[Signscorp]

Sometimes the key to listening is knowing when to decide not to listen. Wise.

 

[Stacey K]

Notareal is right. I could definitely be making a lot more money but that would also mean giving up certain things outside of work and I'm only willing to do that to an extent. My Dad had a business and had many rentals - he was never home except Sundays. My mom didn't work but was also not very involved in anything with us. I vowed to be different and be an involved parent and not be absent. I missed out on making more money on several occasions.but I would have to miss games or worked a lot more Saturdays. I don't regret it! Once my youngest is gone I have the rest of my life to work nights and weekends!

Sorry for making you listen to that blibber blabber...LOL

 

[Scotchbrite]

There is something that I have been learning and concluding as I get older and get the feeling that this is not some sort of unique epiphany. When you are younger and starting out, you will go to the end of the earth to make customers happy which does pay off. Nights, weekends, give up vacations, answer the phones at all hours of the night, take your brow beatings like a man, pretty much whatever it takes. In your 20s-30s you really have a lot of drive but eventually you hit a comfort level and that drive diminishes, it turns more into maintenance. Maintain your current income level, keep your bills paid, plan your later in life exit from the rat race and most importantly, maintain your sanity. I can only assume that as time goes on, you begin to have less tolerance for employees, customers and vendors. Not saying to turn into a pig headed my way or the highway guy but your life experiences combined with the fact that your hierarchy of needs are met (food/shelter, companionship, self esteem) you have one part left over and that is yourself. So while listening is very important, sometimes it becomes a battle between that and your sanity and your sanity wins out because of what I said earlier about your needs being met.
When I work with older business owners, many of them have slimmed down and choose to only do what they want to do and deal with who they want to deal with. Maybe 1-2 employees and many times just some part time helper. Earlier in their careers, many of them had some pretty big operations but it sucked the life out of them. They hit that wall and get done with listening to the noise from every direction and every single one of them will say that they don't have any regrets whatsoever with where they are in life. Most are way more content. With that said, you take it and listen for awhile but eventually you have to put yourself at the top. Have you ever seen the Seinfeld soup nazi episode? That is reality that they simply made into a funny bit.

This is exactly where I'm at. I remember having my laptop at home sending out emails at 11PM working on designs and the like. Not anymore. When I get home the last thing I want to do is look at a monitor. I rarely even pull out my phone.

Somebody just the other day was telling me about how I should do some such thing to pick up more work. I said I don't think you understand, I want to work LESS as I get older, not MORE.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

This is exactly where I'm at. I remember having my laptop at home sending out emails at 11PM working on designs and the like. Not anymore. When I get home the last thing I want to do is look at a monitor. I rarely even pull out my phone.

Somebody just the other day was telling me about how I should do some such thing to pick up more work. I said I don't think you understand, I want to work LESS as I get older, not MORE.

Just hire more people! What's wrong with you?

 

[Boudica]

Just hire more people! What's wrong with you?

That's what I want to tell my boss. But we have a small team, adding a regular employee to this, comes out of the bottom line. He's got a great pm, and an assistant would change the dynamic, and create more "fixed expenses".... Cutting into his pocket.

 

[JamesLam]

This is where it ends. As businesses we can vent, get the $#!+ off of our backs and move on. It's small business therapy at its best. The only thing missing is the really good replies or zingers that we wish we had said.