Scams:9 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Trust Online Reviews

Connor

Member
Joined
May 27, 2011
Messages
3,492
Name
Connor
Yep.

Online reviews are dubious.

One of my competitors has several ratings on Angie's list and they all say the same kinda thing.

Expensive, cost more, but worth it, I will call them again.




I never trust online reviews, I have one positive review on Kudzu and that got me a customer who said she always uses Kudzu, she's a repeat, but won't go online and give me a review.

Another customer has used me several times and has said how happy he has been with his service and how he uses Angie's List a lot, but that's not where he found me. He's never given me a review either.

As to the one and two truck guys with a kajillion reviews, i say BS. I also never believe companies who have three or four positive reviews in one day. Or a new one every month about the same time of the month.

I do check the reviewers other reviews, if they have never made any other review, I disregard it.

Another of my competitors has gave himself a review and used his own name. Total douche bag.
 

ruff

Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
11,010
Location
San Francisco, CA
Name
Ofer Kolton
Beside word of mouth, anything else Ron, including reviews of all kinds can be manipulated.
Just as you mentioned hand written reviews can be faked.

At the end it always comes back to the individual consumer, their ability to read between the lines and their ability to distinguish between false and true.

A smart consumer listens very carefully when talking with a service provider. Just as you can tell, pretty much with certainty after a short conversation, which client is likely to be difficult, so should they. Also smart consumers check on companies through a few recommendation sources. If a company is recommended by three or four different places, chances are they are pretty good.

Unless of course they are super duper perfectionist crooks :p
 

Royal Man

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
4,989
Location
Lincoln NE
Name
Dave Yoakum
I say BS!!!

What good are onlinre rewiews if the prospect doesn't see them.
Or if they have to hunt for them?

Online reviews can be acessed and seen for all from the first page of Google.

In addition:
You get the 5 yellow stars that make your listing stand out and they can also help your ranking.

Hand written reviews are almost worthless in these respects.

Ron is just pissed because he doesn't have any online reviews.

Like these of mine:

Mindy P. Feb 8, 2012 Dave had cleaned a room in our home with a pet stain and I was tickled at the service. He and his crew were friendly and even gave us great advice about the big carpet purchase we were about to make. We recently got a puppy (yes, soon after getting new carpet), and had a huge similar mess. This time all over the house. Royalty was my first, only, and instant thought. They came the next day and again did a fantastic job. They were quick, professional, and I would have paid more for their great work. Thanks for saving our new carpet ;)

Jenifer - Feb 1, 2012 I've hired other companies to clean my carpet during one of their ”special”pricing events and have never really been satisfied. I called Dave based on the reviews on this website and I was not disappointed! Dave answered the phone when I called and gave me a good estimate (a little lower than Stanley Steemer) and was able to come out within two days to clean my carpets. Dave was on time and called when he was on his way over to the house. He was very friendly and even gave great advice on cleaning and types of carpet to buy. My carpet is clean and the stains all came out! I would highly recommend Royal Carpet!

TZ - Dec 2, 2010 I was pleased with Royal Carpet Cleaners. Due to an long illness, my carpets had accumulated a lot of soil and stains. Dave did a great job of getting this all clean. He was responsive from the first phone call, did a great job at a reasonable cost. I will definately use him again.
Brian Dec 6, 2011 Amazing service. Super friendly. They are concerned about the end product and customer service. Just a great company with care. Highly recommend.

Dee - Dec 15 2011 I called at 6pm on Friday night after a whole pitcher of kool-aid went flying across our living room. They were here at 9am the next day and the Kool-aid was gone by 9:15a. I was impressed! Thanks Dave!

Kari - Dec 30, 2011 Dave has been such a sport with helping me out. He was open to anytime I needed him, made sure to call me when he was on his way and called to let me know he was done. Dave and his crew did an amazing job, and I reccommend them. Dave even came back to take care of a couple other spots that we were having trouble with. A very respectable guy, and company. Thanks Dave. – Kari

Mrs. Burgett - Nov 2, 2011 We used Royal Carpet to get our house ready to sell. The carpet looks great and freshend up. Best of all, Dave's service is affordable and he was early!
Tigerlil - Nov 2, 2011 We are new to Lincoln and I needed a reputable carpet cleaner to clean a long hallway and small computer room where movers had tracked in dirt. I went online and saw how Royal Carpeting had reviews and read numerous positive results. Timing was important and Dave had no problem meeting our schedule that very week....he even agreed to cleaning basement stairs which were in horrible shape. Very professional, fair quote and we would use again!

Matthew - Nov 4, 2011 I've paid a little less before for carpet cleaning on someone's special but I've never been impressed with the result. Dave did a great job! My carpet looks like it did 10 years ago when we moved in!

Karen - Nov 4, 2010 Super fast, friendly & professional! I called on a Wednesday, got the bid that day, and the carpet was cleaned on Friday. Very nice and professinal. We had a distinct cat odor (aka cat urine) and it is gone. No need to replace the carpet!

ladyageorge - Nov 15, 2011 Dave and Kyle just left after cleaning our sofa and did an amazing job! They were on time, fast, professional and my couch is back to looking brand new. We are so incredibly happy our furniture is saved! Thanks Royal Carpet and upholstery cleaning
Prairiegal - Nov 26, 2011 Did a wonderful job cleaning my carpets and they were great about coming back to take care of one pesky spot. Highly recommended!

Leelund - Oct 19, 2011 I needed my whole house carpeting and flooring cleaned to get it ready for selling. I'd used Royal in the past and based on that experience, I called Dave for this job. I thought it was an impossible task considering the condition of the flooring and carpeting. Dave and his assistant did an excellent job, the carpets look new and the flooring was cleaned beyond my expectations! The house is definitely ready for its first open house!

Nicole - Sep 24, 2011 Dave did a wonderful job cleaning our living room areas! They were definitely in need of a good cleaning. Everything looks and smells great! Royal was on time, professional, and friendly to talk with. Thanks again!

Jacki - Aug 11, 2011 I am very impressed with this company. Dave gave me a fair quote, and the very next day he was there to do the job. Very professional, and my carpets look brand new. I highly recommend his service, and when I need service again, he is the one that I will call. Great job Dave, 5 stars!!

Kathy T. - Jul 1, 2011 Royal cleaned four chairs upholstered in white used in the kitchen area. The backs were dirty from dogs rubbing against them, and they had soil on the arms and the top of the back where your neck rests. They came out beautifully and look like new. Very fast work, and good communication from Dave.

picky housewife - Aug 18, 2011 Great job. Had them clean all my carpets. Would recommend. 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Was this review helpful?

Lordirae - Nov 21, 2010 Fabulous job and my home smells WONDERFUL! Thanks so much!!

Don - May 31, 2011 We appreciate your good work. We are always happy with the way our carpet & upholstery look when your our done. It's nice to be able to trust someone in your home when you are not home. We will gladly and highly recommend you to anyone in need of or looking for a good carpet cleaning service!

Stefani - May 31, 2011 Very good job of cleaning & enjoyable conversation. I will recommend your service. 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Sally - May 31, 2011 Thank you, thank you for removing the juice stains. I was so upset about them on my new carpet!

Crystal - May 5, 2011 5/5/2011----Dave did an excellent job on our basement! It looks and smells great! And the price was well worth it. Just to not smell dogs and cats anymore, AWESOME! ------Crystal.

Cole-April 15, 2011 Easy to reach, flexible schedule, reasonable priced.Dave has great customer service, did a QUALITY job, cared about customer satisfaction. My carpet looks great (and it's 8 years old!!). Thanks Dave!!! I appreciate good old fashioned work ethic!!!!!!!!! Had another large name company out many years ago. They made one pass over the carpet, vaguely sprayed the stains, and packed it in. Royal Carpet really worked on making the carpet look its best, and all for a REASONABLE price!

Bernice - Mar 2, 2011 Dav
e did a wonderful job. He was easy to contact, on time, and the work he did on my carpets is amazing. I have two active and autistic toddlers and the carpet was just awful. Dave took the time and extra care to do the job right. I usually have my carpets done twice a year and I'll never call anyone else!

Karen - Nov 4, 2010 Super fast, friendly & professional! I called on a Wednesday, got the bid that day, and the carpet was cleaned on Friday. Very nice and professinal. We had a distinct cat odor (aka cat urine) and it is gone. No need to replace the carpet!


Lyndsi - Jun 10, 2011 I have two puppies that used to pee in one of our main rooms, they are potty trained now but we couldn't get the smell out. Royal was prompt, quick, and did a fantastic job! Best of all, they guarantee their work for a week so if any odor or spots show up they'll come fix it.

Gerry –Oct 28 2010 Carpet and Sofa Excellent job, came next day cleaned quickly and completely. Sofa looks like new!

Vicki ? - Jul 29, 2010 Vicki and Charlie Thanks Dave for getting rid of the dog odor in our carpets. We had an old dog that couldn't always make it outside in time. When he finally died, our carpets were awful. Dave was at our house within a week and was able to eliminate most of the problem. A year later he came back for a routine cleaning and now the stains and smell are completely gone. We honestly thought we would have to replace all of our carpets, so this has been wonderful.

Thomas ? - Apr 17, 2010 Sofa, Loveseat & Persian Rug Restored! Royal came by and made our white (!) sofa and loveseat look good as new. We've had him work on it several times over the years, and the work just keeps improving. And this is after our dog rubs his wet chin along the side! Our large Persian rug he took to his shop and cleaned; it came back good as new. The white tassle fringe looked great. Thanks for all your effort!

Erin ? - Feb 12, 2010 Nice work Dave, Thanks for the great service! Everything looks wonderful

BJ ? - Feb 12, 2010 Thank you guys Thank you for coming early on a Saturday morning to fit our schedules.
Amy ? - Feb 12, 2010 Really impressed Really impressed with the job. I thought the stain to my rug would be impossible to get out but you did it! The impossible must be your profession!

Dave- ? Feb 9 2010-Very pleased customer I was very pleased- I Had my couch cleaned now it looks great!!

Melissa ? - Feb 3, 2010 Nice Job Always a nice job. On time, friendly. Our carpets always look great after your visit!

Jared ? - Feb 3, 2010
Very Good Very good job of cleaning & enjoyable conversation. I will recommend your service.

Jan 30, 2010 -very pleased customer Thanks Dave You did a great job you got all the stains and odor out. Thanks to your service we were able to minimize turn around time and got the house rented right away

Andrew H.-June 01, 2011 Cleaning Very good and professional job. Yes we had a couple of spots after but, that's because the spots were VERY deep and Dave told me before he left, If they show back up let me know and we'll come back out to redo those spots. He came back out like he said and sure enough the spots came out! Thanks to Dave and his team for doing such a professional job at our house and would recommend his service any day! A+++++

I have used Dave's services for close to 20 years now and love his passion for keeping the customer happy. He is always on time, friendly and does a great job!! The staff at Royal was friendly, and spent extra time making sure that my carpets looked great! I felt as though they listened to my concerns and addressed them with care! Royal Carpet Cleaning got out a stain that I thought was impossible!!! They are always here right on time or early. the service people are pleasant and CARE about what they do. I HIGHLY recommend this carpet cleaning service. nicolette bonnstetter

Hired Royal Carpet to come out &clean my living room for an open house this weekend and WHAT A GREAT JOB he did!! He didnt just make one pass over the carpet and pack it in, he actually CLEANED the carpet. He cared what it looked like when it was done. (And let me tell you, it needed the cleaning!) So impressed to find such hard workers, great customer service, and a company who cares about customer satisfaction. THANKS Royal Carpet!!! GREAT JOB!!!

Barbara -Dave cleaned the furniture to perfection. We moved our daughter to Lincoln, and her sofas and futon got very soiled in the move. Dave came out the day I called and did a superb cleaning of the furniture. He took his time and I recommend him enthusiastically. I will definitely call him again. Barbara, Birmingham, Alabama

February 12, 2011 Got the cat urine smell out! Mycat had urinated on my new sofa - the smell was terrible. I tried to clean it myself at home with my little Green Machine, but the horrible smell was still there. I called Royal Carpet &Upholstery Cleaning for a quote and they got back to me within two days. I had them come and steam clean the entire sofa and deoderize it. Soooo much better! And the deoderizer left a fresh, clean scent, not some heavy cover-up perfume. Their service is a bit pricey, but effective. The other option was buying another sofa. The two gentleman spoke English, were polite, done in about an hour, and cleaned up after themselves. I would call Royal Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning again. -Owner of a Naughty Cat,

B.J.D.- We have used Royal Carpet Cleaning for many years. They always do an outstanding job. The owner is always on the jobsite which we did not find with previous carpet cleaning companies. We highly recommend them. I have had Royal Carpet Company doing my carpets and furniture for many years. I like a person who owns the company that actually does the work. I find Dave to be very dependable and am amazed how he has gotten red wine stains out especially on my sofa. I recommend him very highly. B.J.D

We recently had Royal Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning clean our couch. We have two dogs and three kids under the age of 10, so as you can imagine our couch takes a beating. They were on time,(actually a few minutes early which was very helpful), the staff was very pleasant, helpfull and the service was wonderful. The stains from the dogs and kids are gone, the couch looks new again. I would highly recommend Roayal Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning to anyone wanting to clean their furniture or carpet. Job well done!!bulous job and my house smells terrific! Thanks so much; I will be calling you again!!

Fabulous job and my house smells terrific! Thanks so much; I will be calling you again!!
Dave was very thorough and professional. Had lots of pet stains and they did a great job handling them. My Mom also used him and was also very happy

Mrs Little-We appreciate your good work. We are always happy with the way our upholstery look when your our done.It's nice to be able to trust someone in your home when you are not home. We will gladly and;highly recommend you to anyone in need of or looking for a good carpet cleaning service!

Mrs. Degenhardt -Thank-you for removing the juice stains. I was so upset about them on my new carpet!

Mr Mason -Really impressed with the job. I thought the stain to my area rug would be impossible to getout but you did it! The impossible must beyour profession!

Mrs. Micek-I like dealing with the owner of the company who is interested in keeping a reputable businessMrs.
Mrs. Rodgers -I was very pleased- I Had my sofa cleaned now it looks great!!

Mrs. Douglas -Thank you for coming early on a Saturday morning to fit our schedules. My carpetslook great!

Mr Becker-I am always pleased! Thats why I continue to call them for our carpet needs.Mrs. Clements-LincolnDave, Thanks for the great service! Everything looks wonderful!v
 

Royal Man

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
4,989
Location
Lincoln NE
Name
Dave Yoakum
Just looked. Ron has ONE review and it is over a year old!

That vacuuming must not be impressing the clients much.

At Least not enough that they want to share their positive experience.
 

idreadnought

Supportive Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
883
Location
Oroville, ca
Name
Richard
dave, thats an incredible amount of reviews. Exactly how did you get so many of your customers to leave reviews for you? I work at it very hard and I am not nearly that successful
 

FredC

Village Idiot
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
26,364
Dave...you,re so ******* full of shit. I can show without a doubt that many of your reviews are FAKE ...........

and thats ok with me...I wouldn't care if you were not on here feeding everyone a bunch of bullshit.



Most things on the interwebs are "fake" though.....if this were in another room I might give a lesson
 
  • Like
Reactions: SamIam

Connor

Member
Joined
May 27, 2011
Messages
3,492
Name
Connor
FredC said:
Dave...you,re so ******* full of shit. I can show without a doubt that many of your reviews are FAKE ...........

and thats ok with me...I wouldn't care if you were not on here feeding everyone a bunch of bullshit.



Most things on the interwebs are "fake" though.....if this were in another room I might give a lesson

How would you prove they were fake?
 

Able 1

Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Messages
6,469
Location
Wi
Name
Keith
"(a little lower than Stanley Steemer)" MR. $250 average per job.. you are FOS! And why do you have to come back and fix soo many spots with the little amount of people that are giving positive reviews(EWTM)?? I mean how many that have spots come back and don't review?? What was it 10 vans Dave back down to 1? :roll: I did google earth your addy, was it your van that made that mess in the middle of the street??? :lol: :lol: I will make the bet that your house is the one with the over grown trees?
 

Connor

Member
Joined
May 27, 2011
Messages
3,492
Name
Connor
Wow, you guys sure are harsh on Dave. Did he kick a puppy or something.
 

FredC

Village Idiot
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
26,364
I'm not being harsh...I'm waiting for Dave to come in and say something to the contrary......then I will be harsh.


How would I prove it? Cause I play this game everyday and have become decent at recognizing footprints..


EDIT: I DO NOT leave reviews for clients..usually
 

FredC

Village Idiot
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
26,364
Yelp has a decent filtering system.....but of course a lot of legit reviews get tossed too......

but the high success rate of algorithms and even manual filtering can be attributed to most people who leave the fakes not having any idea wtf they are doing..............the "signals" are easily picked up on...
 

FredC

Village Idiot
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
26,364

FredC

Village Idiot
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
26,364
Hey Dave,

Why do so many people in lincoln NE review so many businesses nationwide?
 

FredC

Village Idiot
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
26,364
Hey Dave?

Why do so many of your reviewers save maps/driving directions? Usually to similar destinations and start points? Or placemark businesses they review?


I mean I do it....and I know why I do it....but why do you think they do?
 

FredC

Village Idiot
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
26,364
Hey Dave?

What are the odds you introduced most of the reviewers with multiple reviews to reviewing businesses on google?
What are the odds that said reviewers defy the odds and leave almost all positive reviews?
What are the odds that even the reviews with one star have positive text?
What are the odds so many started reviewing on the same dates?

What are the odds they used so many businesses across the country...think I've already asked that one but thought you might need another example:

http://maps.google.com/maps/user?ui...ved=0CBoQhQo&ei=Cn4zT-r5OJ-YyATRqdD_CA&ptab=1
http://maps.google.com/maps/user?ui...ved=0CBIQhQo&ei=bIYzT7m2NKOOzgS2npSbCQ&ptab=1
http://maps.google.com/maps/user?ui...ved=0CBYQhQo&ei=O4czT-HmKYGwyQT-6rSUCQ&ptab=1
http://maps.google.com/maps/user?ui...ved=0CBoQhQo&ei=O4czT-HmKYGwyQT-6rSUCQ&ptab=1
http://maps.google.com/maps/user?ui...ved=0CB4QhQo&ei=O4czT-HmKYGwyQT-6rSUCQ&ptab=1
http://maps.google.com/maps/user?ui...ved=0CCYQhQo&ei=O4czT-HmKYGwyQT-6rSUCQ&ptab=1
http://maps.google.com/maps/user?ui...ved=0CCoQhQo&ei=O4czT-HmKYGwyQT-6rSUCQ&ptab=1
 

Ron Werner

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Messages
8,726
Location
Sooke BC, Lower Vancouver Island
Name
Ron Werner
With all the talk about online reviews and the timing of receiving this article, I thought I'd post it.
There have been enough guys here that have complained about false bad reviews. How many are false good reviews?

Obviously Dave, with your tent cards, your focus is online reviews, of which you get plenty.

You know what having only one review means for my busn? Absolutely squat.
You know what's even better than an online review?
A client who tries the other guy then calls me back.
Or the guy where I had to replace his carpet and he's a steady client.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SamIam

FredC

Village Idiot
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
26,364
its a good article.....spot on.....and I hope nobody reads it :lol:
 

Dmreed4311

Supportive Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
462
Location
Tampa
Name
David Reed
Ya some fake reviews are so obvious, I ask clients who i feel are blown away to give me reviews and about 1 percent do. I got my tenth review last week and looked today and it was gone!!!! I have lost many legit reviews, I should have over 20 but now i only have 9 all real!!

I look at it this way if a company clearly cares so much about reviews on google that they fake the reviews, that is actually good for the customer because they can hold the service provider to that fake standard they have created. If they do not you can give them a real BAD review which Iam sure they would do anything to avoid. There is a local carpet cleaner in my area who owns two other businesses and he has 17 reviews to all of his 3 businesses all from the same people, very funny to me.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom