The Fine Review Line

Internet, Review

ReviewerCardAn entrepreneur has made the news for an invention of his.  No, it’s not a new smartphone or a revolutionary gizmo.  It’s a card.  A card designed to drastically improve the quality of service one gets at establishments.

How does it work?  Simple.  This card lets businesses know that you plan on writing an online review about them.  If they value their online reputation, they can lavish you with extra attention, let you bypass lines, or even slash the price you pay.  If they don’t give you VIP treatment… well, you never know.  You might be forced to write a negative review online that could impact their business.  That’d be a shame, wouldn’t it?

If you think this sounds fishy, you aren’t alone.  Many in the online community have reacted negatively to these cards.  The creator of these insists that nobody is hurt.  After all, the business gets a good review and the card wielder gets exceptional service.  He even points out that he’s never specifically SAID that the business would get a bad review by not "honoring" his card.  Who loses?  The answer is: Everyone except the card holder.

The business loses because they need to live in fear of the card holder not being satisfied with how good the VIP treatment is.  Even if they lavish attention on the individual, the reviewer may decide it isn’t enough and post a bad review anyway.  Plus, all the extra attention they pay to the card holder may result in a lack of attention paid to their other customers (who might post reviews themselves).  Other people reading the reviews are hurt as well because the reviewers aren’t disclosing that they got great service thanks to their cards.  Those reading the reviews might think this treatment is the norm and then be disappointed when they get treated like regular guests.  A treatment which, under normal circumstances, might seem fine, but under the artificially high expectations may seem lacking.  These disappointed customers might then publish negative reviews.

In short, it is highly dishonest.

I understand the lure of getting free stuff in exchange for a good review.  Whenever I get something to review, there’s a temptation to write a glowing review only to foster a good relationship with the company and get more free stuff sent to me.  This isn’t honest, however.  If companies are sending me products to review, they are going to get an honest review.  This might be positive (if I like their product), mixed, or even negative if the product deserves it.  (Thankfully, I haven’t yet encountered anything that needed a full-on negative review.)  I also disclose everything that I get from the company so that readers can take that into account.  Even if a free product doesn’t sway my judgment, a reader might put less stock in it than in a review from someone who bought the product themselves.

"Free stuff" might be nice, but being an honest reviewer is even better.  I’ve even found that companies tend to respect honest reviewers and will seek them out for more reviews.  They really don’t like feeling like they are being shaken down for a good review.

So how should a business react if someone flashes this card?  I’d recommend one of these two counter-cards.  The first was my reaction to the article and the second comes from SelfishMom.

NoPreferentialTreatmentYelpAccountCard

If a customer is tying their positive review to you giving them extra-special VIP treatment for said review, then their review isn’t worth much.  Don’t treat them badly, mind you.  Just treat them like any other normal guest.  If enough businesses refuse to "honor" these cards, then the cards’ power will decline to the point that they will become useless chunks of plastic.

The Ringtone Hunt

Geeky Pursuits, Music, Smartphones/Tablets

SmartphoneWay back in the day, the sound that a cellphone made when it rang was set by the manufacturer.  You had the option of listening to it or turning it off.  Then, someone got the bright idea that cellphones should play bits of music when they rang. 

Fast forward to the present day and your average smart phone can play any MP3 file you throw at it as a ringtone.  This means your favorite song can announce that your spouse is calling you or Darth Vader’s theme song can declare that your in-laws are on the line.  (Not that I’d do that, of course!)

I’ve bounced from ringtone to ringtone over the years.  From Star Wars to the Muppets, each of them reflected some aspect of my geekiness.  My latest declared my love of Doctor Who.  In fact, it was the Doctor Who theme song.

Unfortunately, while the Doctor Who theme makes for a great song, it can be a bit grating as a ringtone.  Especially to B’s ears.  So I’m on the hunt for a new ringtone.  One that will express my geekiness but without causing B auditory discomfort.

I’ve already gone through the TARDIS sound (also annoying), a Dalek (B said that she’d EXTERMINATE me if I used it), and the sonic screwdriver (worse than the theme song).  For now, I’ve settled on "I Am The Doctor" which is the song that plays in some Doctor Who episodes as the peril comes to a head and The Doctor heads into the fray.  We’ll see if I keep this one or if it winds up replaced with something else.

What do you have set as your ringtone?  What geeky ringtone would you recommend?

Note: The "smartphone" image above is by zorro and is available from OpenClipArt.org.

Aloha Friday: Weekends? Time To Unwind or Chore Time

Aloha Friday, Parenting

During the week, things can get very hectic.  I have to go to work, make dinners, help the boys with their homework, etc.  I barely have enough time to just sit and have fun with them.  So when the weekend comes, I’d love nothing more than to spend the entire time playing with them.

On the other hand, weekdays are horrible for me when it comes to doing needed chores around the house.  By the time I get home from work, get dinner on the table, and eat, it’s almost time for the kids to go to sleep.  Once they’re sleeping, I’m usually too tired to do any intense chores.  This makes the weekends an ideal time to burn through some of the backlogged chores.

Of course, both can’t reign supreme.  Instead, it’s usually some combination of the two (leaving me wishing that I had more time for both).

My Aloha Friday question for today is: Do you usually spend your weekends unwinding with your kids or doing chores?

P.S. If you haven’t already, try out my Twitter applications: FollowerHQ and Rout.

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An Island Life

Aloha #173

Storybook Circus Giggle Gang in #NewFantasyland

Disney, NewFantasyland, Photos, Stress

Lately, I’ve been stressing about a topic which, unfortunately, I can’t blog or tweet about.  (There go my primary methods of getting things off my chest!)  At times like this, I wish I could just magically transport myself to Disney World for a few much-needed laughs.  In fact, I think the clowns of Storybook Circus’ Giggle Gang would be just the cure.  Since they are oh-so-far away, though, I’ll just look at these photos and laugh at the funny memories of them.

First, the Giggle Gang arrives:

giggle-gang

They’re not just there to entertain, though, they’re there to educate.  Yes, this is Clown University:

clown-u

Today’s lesson: What do you do when you reach the end of your rope?

end-of-his-rope

Answer: Seek out some friends to help you unwind!  (Preferably at Disney World.)

might-need-help-unwinding

Thanks for the lesson (and the laughs), Giggle Gang!

Disclosure: I was invited to the New Fantasyland media event December 5th through 7th. Disney paid for my travel, our park tickets, room, and a few other items. I was able to take B along as my guest, but we paid for her own travel as well as an extra night in the resort. The opinions expressed above are my own.

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