5 star review from a friend, 1 star from a stranger, which one matters more?

Last month I finished a tile job in Austin for $4,800 and the homeowner's buddy left me a glowing 5 star review after one beer, but then a random passerby who saw my truck parked crooked posted a 1 star saying I was unprofessional. Three years ago I had a job go sideways with a bad glue batch and the client still left a fair review because we talked it through, but now I feel like online scores are more about personality than work quality. Should I be chasing the happy customers harder for reviews or is it better to just let the work speak and risk the random drive-by ratings?

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leep3311d ago

Look at the numbers before you overthink this. That buddy review means nothing to a stranger scrolling for a tile guy, but that 1 star from a random passerby? That's the one people actually read and question. I've seen jobs where a guy had 50 perfect reviews and one salty 2 star from someone who wasn't even a customer, and suddenly folks are asking about it. You're right that it's more about personality now, but that's the game you're in. So yeah, chase the happy customers, but also park your truck straight and brush off the drive-by noise. The work matters, but the score is what gets you the next call.