Beyond the Review: What consumers expect from feedback today
Online reviews remain an important source of information for consumers. Our latest research shows that 95% use reviews when making a purchase or choosing a service, while 84% consider them an important part of the decision-making process. Among under-55s, that rises to 92%.
But while reviews remain influential, consumers are becoming more sceptical about what they read. Increasingly, they are looking beyond ratings alone and paying closer attention to how brands respond to and act on feedback.
Trust is eroding, even as usage remains high
While reviews remain important, trust in them is declining.
Two thirds of consumers (67%) say they trust online reviews less than they did five years ago, while nine in ten (90%) have concerns about fake or misleading reviews.
This growing scepticism is changing behaviour. More than one in five consumers (22%) say they now rely on reviews less than they once did, while 59% actively verify reviews more carefully before making decisions. Among younger consumers, scrutiny is even higher, with under-45s particularly likely to investigate reviews before taking them at face value.
The issue is not that consumers have stopped using reviews. Instead, they have become much more discerning about how they interpret them.
Consumers are increasingly alert to signs that reviews may not be authentic. Fake or automated-sounding reviews raise concerns for 53%, while incentivised reviews (45%) and an abundance of overly positive feedback (44%) can also undermine credibility.
In short, consumers still want reviews. They just want reviews they can believe.
The brand response matters as much as the review itself
As trust in review content becomes harder to earn, attention is shifting towards how brands engage with customer feedback.
Consumers expect brands to play an active role in the conversation. Nine in ten (90%) believe it is important for companies to publicly respond to customer reviews, and when consumers leave a negative review, 89% expect a response from the brand.
Silence can be interpreted negatively. For almost a third of consumers (30%), a lack of response can raise questions about the legitimacy of the review itself.
The expectation extends beyond simply acknowledging feedback. When consumers leave a negative review, 43% expect follow-up contact and 41% expect a personalised response. More than a third (37%) want an apology, a resolution, or evidence that action will be taken to prevent the issue happening again.
Consumers increasingly expect brands to engage with feedback and show that they have listened and made improvements where needed. For many consumers, leaving feedback is no longer a one-way interaction.
Consumers expect feedback to result in change
Much of the conversation around reviews focuses on helping other consumers make decisions. But the findings suggest consumers also expect feedback to help brands improve.
More than eight in ten consumers (82%) believe companies use reviews to make changes or improve the customer experience. There is a clear expectation that feedback should inform improvements, whether that means fixing problems, improving processes or addressing recurring issues.
Interestingly, when it comes to driving meaningful change, consumers appear to place greater faith in direct feedback channels than public review platforms.
Almost two thirds (64%) believe completing a customer feedback survey is likely to drive meaningful improvements from a company. This may indicate that consumers see customer feedback surveys and public reviews as serving different purposes.
While reviews remain an important source of information for prospective customers, customer feedback surveys may be viewed as more likely to reach the people responsible for making improvements.
What does this mean for brands?
Brands need to continuously manage their online reviews. Monitoring and responding to reviews can help build confidence in authenticity and demonstrate that feedback is valued.
Generic responses are unlikely to have much impact. Consumers expect brands to show that they have understood and taken on board the feedback through personalised replies.
However, reviews are only one part of the picture. The findings suggest consumers want more than acknowledgement. They want evidence that feedback is being listened to and used to shape decisions and improvements.
For brands, this highlights the importance of having a clear customer listening strategy. Reviews provide visibility and social proof, but structured feedback programmes can help brands understand the root causes behind customer experiences and provide a clearer direction for improvement.
The opportunity is not simply to collect feedback. It is to close the loop by showing customers that their voices have been heard and that their feedback has contributed to positive change.
Reviews remain an important part of the decision-making process, but consumers increasingly expect feedback to have an impact. They want to know that brands are listening, responding and making improvements as a result. Contact us to find out more.