Using negative testimonials

[Real World Hypnotherapy]

Hey all

Just thought I would share something with you in regards to testimonials as part of your marketing mix.

I have used testimonials for years in all the businesses i have run. I have used them in written form, audio interviews and videos. I always send potential clients my testimonials and they are always highly viewed on my sites.

Although using testimonials has got me a lot of clients, I made a mistake that probably cost me more work than I got. All my testimonials are glowing endorsements of my services and there are no bad reviews. As they are all so positive it can make them look fake and therefore put people off.

I was talking to a very successful hypnotherapist yesterday when I was on a course and he said he always puts up his testimonials both positive and negative. By having both, it shows that they are real and that you are confident enough in your product/service that you will allow people to criticise it.

I have decided that I am going to start using negative and even neutral testimonials for my hypnotherapy service. Unfortunately all the testimonials I have collected are positive as I think it is much harder for someone to send a negative one unless they know I am not going to be offended and still want to read it.

So if you use testimonials, have a think about putting up negative ones too. This will demonstrate that you are not perfect and therefore much more real and believable.

Have fun

Matt

 

[Connexions]

Depends really. Would only advise it if it possibly started as a negative but by the end of the testimonial became a postive

For instance, 'I ordered a week ago and still had not heard anything about my order, however after calling them on the phone it was sorted out in no time. As it happens my email was playing up so never received their communication. Excellent customer service......'

 

[Matt1959]

Although using testimonials has got me a lot of clients, I made a mistake that probably cost me more work than I got. All my testimonials are glowing endorsements of my services and there are no bad reviews. As they are all so positive it can make them look fake and therefore put people off.

thats quite something to say - do you have proof that your positive testimonials cost you more work then you got:| I'm really struggling to believe this but using negative testimonials is an interesting slant on an old subject. I think myself I'd look at reducing the number of them on display, before sticking in negative ones...

 

[TechFox]

A good example of this would be my web host, where I have had a few problems but the responsive customer support has resolved these issues promptly.

 

[MJ Britton]

Have you seen testimonials on Amazon? Sometimes you see a product with lots of glowing reviews and then the odd bad review. In these circumstances I generally take an overall view that the product is good, unless the bad review had particular points that I felt were really important to me and hadn't been praised by the other reviews.

A company I work for introduced a tool that allowed customers to leave 'eBay-style' reviews - they were really nervous about letting people put what they liked - but it worked out really well. The vast majority of reviews are really good and I think most people accept that the odd person won't be satisfied, whatever you do. So, yes, I think it can make your testimonials more believeable.

 

yep no one is perfect ,main thing is that you fix the problem ,says tons for your service as in:

It is a real pleasure to come across such excellent customer service these days.
I bought a dolls house online from Cosy Corners and discovered it had a broken
part. I was delighted with the way the problem was dealt with so promptly and
courteously. A replacement part was ordered and I was kept informed of what was
happening and offered alternatives. All this at a very busy time of year in the
run up to Christmas. I will be recommending Cosy Corners to my friends and will
certainly be back myself. I just know that if I had had the same problem with a
big company I would have spent hours on the phone and probably ended up sending
the whole lot back with a lot of messing around.
Yours with many thanks (and a little girl who will be absolutely beside herself
with joy on Christmas Day)


Earl

 

[Matt1959]

Earl, I don't think that would be classed as a negative review, far from it. It would be good to see an example of something negative warts and all thats supposed to lend this weight to these testimonials:|

 

[papverpoppies]

If I was researching to make a purchase, then negative comments about a certain product would put me off that item - as it would, if the seller/store was getting repeated bad comments.

If I was going to visit a dentist and someone had written, he/she hurt me, over charges, appointments always run late, I would NOT use that dentist.

I look for so called profesional people to be just that (crazy I know) but sometimes, what you do not know, is better kept that way.

Cannot see it catching on, for every potential customer who thinks it is a good thing, how many potential customers do you loose?

Poppy

 

[Jenni384]

I'm with Poppy on this one. Can you imagine if you looked on an accountant's website and saw a review saying "They calculated my tax wrong/ submitted my return late/ didn't respond to any phone calls" etc? Even among plenty of great reviews, surely that would make you think twice?

I don't mind seeing neutral/ negative reviews on products, such as on Amazon, as long as the overall score is good (I know you can't please all people all of the time). But for professional services, I can't see how an actual negative review would help.

I do like the idea of "bad-turned-good" reviews, but it would depend what the detail was.

Back to the original point, being that lots of positive reviews with no balance can look 'fake' - testimonials only go so far. Testimonials will, be their nature, be positive. I think it's more credible if you can link to that client's site (if they are happy to do so) rather than having it accredited to "J.T., London" who could be anyone.

 

[papverpoppies]

I'm with Poppy on this one. Can you imagine if you looked on an accountant's website and saw a review saying "They calculated my tax wrong/ submitted my return late/ didn't respond to any phone calls" etc? Even among plenty of great reviews, surely that would make you think twice?

I don't mind seeing neutral/ negative reviews on products, such as on Amazon, as long as the overall score is good (I know you can't please all people all of the time). But for professional services, I can't see how an actual negative review would help.

I do like the idea of "bad-turned-good" reviews, but it would depend what the detail was.

Back to the original point, being that lots of positive reviews with no balance can look 'fake' - testimonials only go so far. Testimonials will, be their nature, be positive. I think it's more credible if you can link to that client's site (if they are happy to do so) rather than having it accredited to "J.T., London" who could be anyone.

"Lovely doctor, he made full use of the time and examination room, and his hands were so gentle....I've booked a double session next week"!

Never mind potential patients, wait until the wife reads it!

Good or bad?

Could be taken both ways!

Poppy

 

[3 MORE YEARS]

We put full name and organisation where possible so that it can be verified as genuine.

 

[Purple Jigsaw]

I would be vary wary of using negative testimonials, I cant really see any positives in it. If you had a comments page on your website then by all means leave the negative comments up (Dell didnt and it was very embarrassing for them), but I wouldnt be telling potential clients how others have been dissatisfied with my service.