There’s one type of email that I loathe above all others.
Can you guess what it is?
I bet it’s not what you’re thinking.
I hate ’em. Seriously, I’d rather read hate mail. I’d rather read Tea Party literature hand-curated by Ted Cruz, or ad-copy from AT&T explaining how bundling my cable, phone and Internet could save me $300.
The interesting part?
About 75% of the time, what’s inside these emails…
Is glowing. Overwhelming positive. Even raving.
Yet the anxiety still seizes me like talons around testicles the moment I see the number (1) in the sub-category I keep for these emails, like a raised middle-finger, reminding me it isn’t going anywhere until I click.
Do you experience this kind of anxiety around your e-mail inbox?
The e-mails I hate… more than any other emails are:
E-mails telling me:
“Someone on Yelp just reviewed your business”
We own three restaurants in Albany, New York. I read all the reviews that come through, and as you can see from the inbox, focus on the ones that come through Yelp.
Like I said, we’re fortunate that 75% of these reviews are overwhelmingly positive. We’re lucky to have a strong fan-base.
15% of the review are critical. If not constructively so, then at the very least, they’re fair.
Like these:
But it’s the remaining 10 percent that create anxiety for me…
Like these:
In the above example, the reviewer gives us 1-star because:
“I had higher expectations based on location, atmosphere, crowd, and new-ness of the restaurant.”
Uh… those are all positive things… so explain why it’s a 1-star review again?
Or this one:
No one’s happy with a 2-star review, but based on his experience, this sounds like a fair review.
It’s the last line that gets me:
“I do not want a reply from the owner or owner’s agent to this review.”
Um, Last Time I Checked…
Yelp is a public forum. Not anyone’s personal message board/blog to write restaurant reviews.
What if I entered your home or place of business, walked around, then wrote down my thoughts on how you could improve on a couple of Post-its and left it on your desk?
Then, had the gall to say, “Oh, by the way, I don’t want you to respond to this.”
Each time I get one of these emails, it feels like I’m back in second-grade, getting dragged to the front of the classroom by Ms. Williams, right before she chucks a chair at the window.
Then I have to physically pause — let that feeling happen, watch it, a little amazed at how much I loathe these emails, and then it passes — and I go to work. And reply.
Photo Credit: Consult PR
