POSITIVE online reviews have plummeted this year as businesses struggle to maintain good customer service in the face of difficult economic conditions.
review platform trusted pilot has reported 50,000 fewer positive reviews since April, a five percent drop from a year earlier.
The biggest problem areas raised by reviewers are deliveries, response times to inquiries, and errors made with orders.
The data was published by the review platform, which also commissioned research of 2,000 UK consumers which found that 30 per cent feel companies have used the cost-of-living crisis to treat them "badly".
Additionally, the company has just released its first 'Online Review Index', a quarterly analysis of review data highlighting customer sentiment across all retail sectors.
Not only are positive reviews on the decline, but negative reviews are on the rise as well, having risen by three percent.
Mieke De Schepper, commercial director of the review platform, said: โThrough Trustpilot's new quarterly 'Online Review Index', we now have the ability to understand how consumers feel about companies based on how in which they write reviews.
โIt's a unique way of measuring how customers are interacting with a variety of businesses and organisations, and is especially valuable as the UK continues to grapple with the cost of living crisis.
โAt first glance, receiving fewer positive reviews may be concerning, but companies should treat it as an opportunity to understand how their customers feel about them.โ
In addition to general customer sentiment numbers, the company tracker can measure the performance of different sectors.
The electronics, technology and entertainment sectors saw the largest increases in negative sentiment in online reviews, with the same issues highlighted across all sectors.
The biggest problems seemed to center around ordering errors, frustration in dealing with businesses, problems with product delivery, and poor customer service.
For sectors that had fewer negative reviews (travel, construction, manufacturing, and education), customer service levels were highly praised.
Mieke De Schepper added: โCustomer feedback is an essential part of the process of learning where improvements can be made, which will ultimately drive growth.
โBusinesses, of course, face tough economic hurdles, but they must ensure that they maintain customer service levels to earn and maintain consumer trust.
โWith consumer budgets tighter than ever, evidence suggests reviews are playing an increasingly influential role in helping shoppers ensure they're not just getting a good experience.
โBut also genuine value for money, and companies need to keep in mind that those who feel they are getting a raw deal will not hesitate to raise their concerns.โ
