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Why 4.5-star Rating is Better than 5-star Rating for Your Business

Anyone who has purchased anything online or looked at businesses online would know the importance of customer ratings and reviews/feedback.

Mostly it becomes the basis on which you decide to buy a product or buy from a business.

Business owners often are obsessed with getting 5-star ratings and positive reviews for their businesses so that there are higher chances of converting a lead.

However, research shows that a rating of 4.5-star is better than a rating of 5-star in prompting a prospective customer to purchase from you.

Reasons for the liking of this inadequacy

It’s true that generally people like businesses and products that are perfect, or that get 5-star reviews.

Then why is there a particular like for ratings that are less than perfect?

It is mostly the result of critical thinking on the part of the customers than any other logical reason.

People tend to like ratings ranging from 4.2-star to 4.5-star because they think they are more natural than a perfect 5-star rating, which could be manipulative.

If your business has only 5-star rating, then your prospective customers tend to think that it is a result of manipulative action on your part.

Customers realise that it is almost impossible to run a business that is perfect or to make a product or offer a service that has no flaws at all.

Therefore, if you are running a business honestly, then there are chances of you getting less than perfect ratings from your customers.

For example, assume you have 20 reviews on your business and all 20 reviewers have given you a 5-star rating. Is it logically possible to give 100% satisfaction to all 20 customers of yours? 

No, isn’t it?

Critical not to delete negative reviews

You may have seen Google recommendations on reviews. One of the critical recommendations from Google is never to delete a negative review.

In Google Business Profile reviews and other online reviews, if you are getting negative reviews then never delete them.

If you delete all the negative reviews, then you will have only positive reviews left and your customers might think that it is manipulation on your part which resulted in perfect reviews from your customers.

No one likes to purchase from a business that is manipulative and dishonest, isn’t it? 

Handling negative reviews

Handling negative reviews is a skill in itself. 

How you handle negative reviews tell a customer more about what type of a business you are.

• First, make sure that you are not deleting negative reviews and low ratings that your business or product receives. As explained above, it is only natural that you get a negative review as no business can make every customer happy.
• Respond to a negative review as soon as possible. Never allow a negative review to escalate or become a matter of common discussion among your customers.
• Reassure your customer that she is not going to have the disappointing experience next time around when she deals with your business.
• Apologize profusely and acknowledge the error and offer an incentive wherever applicable.
• Be honest and always believe being honest pays every time.
• Give detailed explanations of the reasons for the disappointment she had to face.
• Be polite at all times even if the customer is unhappy or aggressive in explaining his experience.

Conclusion

If you are a business owner who is really obsessed with the 5-star rating for your business, now is the time to let go of that obsession.

Realise that you can never make every customer happy and be cool about not-so-perfect ratings.

Customers like to do business with those who are genuine and honest.

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