Done! Delete Negative Feedback Threads? Nope!

[ploverwing]

This issue arose in response to a member sharing their opinions on an experience with a well-known and (on the forum) well-respected business. The poster was not making a personal attack, but was providing a summary of what they considered was a negative experience.

Another poster responded that UU shouldn't be a platform for a one-sided negative review without offering some sort of balanced opportunity for the business in question to respond. Since this is not really something under our control, I can only see these options:

1. Maintain status quo - as long as there are no personal attacks (ahem, tread lightly on those TCMS posts, please), and the poster is not using inflammatory or derogatory language, leave negative feedback threads alone.
2. Delete negative feedback threads or posts - any positive feedback is fine, but any negative experiences would be open for deletion.
3. Delete all feedback threads or posts - to maintain absolute balance, no one is allowed to make any kind of post about their experiences with any business, good or bad.

Personally, I don't have a problem with people leaving negative reviews, as long as it's done in a civil, reasonable manner. I rely a lot on this forum to find out whether I should use a given business. I don't think a handful of posts about negative experiences is necessarily going to destroy a business' reputation, especially set against all the glowing reviews by many other members (I know that I am critical of negative reviews, using them to somewhat influence my expectations but not necessarily to paint them black). If a business truly offers poor customer service, those experiences are likely to far outweigh the positive ones, and the reader can make up their mind about that.

Here is a personal note, and not necessarily representative of the opinions of anyone else on the moderator team or UU forum staff: I really hate having to delete stuff or shut people down. I get that it's part of my job, and I absolutely don't have a problem with it when it's breaking the rules, or really being offensive, or being taken too far into a personal attack, but I seem to have a very different meter than many people here, so I struggle a lot with that. I am brand new to this moderator gig, and not having had the experience of breaking up flame wars and dealing with the resultant fallout, I am probably very naive.

Anyway, weigh in, and let us know your thoughts, please.

 

[Brian PacNW]

Absolutely. This is less about Marketplace transactions (although that would still be a potential issue) and more about dealings with businesses (e.g. StringsByMail, TUS, etc.).

#1 for sure.

 

[Ziret]

Option #1

 

[Neil_O]

Status quo please.

 

[TimWilson]

I don’t know much about the marketplace here. Can the seller not respond to the negative feedback in some way?

Yes they can. Same for vendors in the real-ish world. Anybody is welcome. A vendor could even join and respond via PM if they didn't want to make it public.

I've mentioned coming from the world of video production. There, negative feedback was life-saving! Reviews at the time were almost entirely subsidized by the manufacturers themselves, who are also advertising, so while there were trade journals galore, packed with reviews, none of them were written by people who had ever paid for a product or used it themselves outside of this narrow testing window.

We created our forum to break that hegemony, to put real world experience front and center. Our policy was you could review any product that you bought, and we would print it without editing for anything beyond grammar.

Things sometimes got hairy. A reviewer might gently knit their brows and tisk tisk something that they didn't like, but a paying customer who lost a job or client because of equipment failure, especially when it was something that the manufacturer clearly knew about but did not disclose? Man, you could roast marshmallows on some of those posts that people made. LOL

When manufacturers who also advertised with us complained about this, we'd say "Are they wrong? If so we will correct it. Otherwise talk to your customer." We never retracted a single of those reviews (although we did remove replies that got personal, called people names, etc), and we never lost an advertiser. They got that it was their job to do the right thing. It can be done. You just have to be fair and specific.

I'm glad that the consensus here is landing on leaving things as they are. I think we do a good job of balancing things, and the balance is very much in favor of favorable reviews! That's as it should be, I think, since most of us are happy with most of our transactions most of the time. But I think that a well-stated negative review offers irreplaceable value, and there has to be room for those too.

 

[TerryM]

.....I seem to have a very different meter than many people here, so I struggle a lot with that. I am brand new to this moderator gig, and not having had the experience of breaking up flame wars and dealing with the resultant fallout, I am probably very naive.

Anyway, weigh in, and let us know your thoughts, please.

#1, status quo, please.

And ploverwing, I think your meter's pretty much spot-on. Always fair and thoughtful.

 

[Joe T]

Not an easy choice, Aime. FWIW, I would go with the first choice and leave thing status quo. I believe in the long run it will be easier for the mods and admins too. Thanks for bringing this to our attention and letting us voice our opinions.

 

[Neil_O]

When I read a Yelp review of a restaurant where the reviewer gives One Star and says, "I never got to eat here because they were closed for a power outage" I feel like that is a terrible use of a platform. Some complaints about luthiers or stores in online forums remind me of that.

 

[MrKlippies]

If you start killing negative comments you are simply covering up, protecting, and therefore condoning bad behavior. If the comments are truthful and aren't abusive and personal they should be allowed. I come here for some good information; Hiding negative comments about business doesn't help make good decisions. Negative info about businesses can be helpful.

Keep it the way it is. If anyone gets out of line then jump in and fix.

 

[Tin Ear]

#1 all the way. This question was easy.

I would mirror what Larry U said.

Definitely #1. Leave things as is. Well-balanced, polite discussions, with both positive and negative viewpoints, should be welcomed (as long as the conversations remain civil.) Once personal attacks start, then it's time for the mods to toss a bucket of water and cool things down. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

[Patty]

Option #1

Ditto.

 

[caukulele]

I agree.
Larry U said: "Definitely #1. Leave things as is. Well-balanced, polite discussions, with both positive and negative viewpoints, should be welcomed (as long as the conversations remain civil.) Once personal attacks start, then it's time for the mods to toss a bucket of water and cool things down. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! "

 

[pmorey]

I would also strongly favor #1.

I think we do a pretty good job of policing ourselves. If there is a post that seems harsh or unfair, I think others post with their own contradictory experiences. Has happened several times with HMS and I think was just demonstrated in the Uke Republic thread. And I’m not meaning to say the UR post was harsh or unfair, it seems that poster did have a legit bad experience.

As one who posted several times in the infamous TC thread, I personally was just trying to bring bad behavior to light and not resort to personal attacks.

BTW, I’m not going to bump that thread, but he is literally selling Snake Oil now. I’m not joking.

 

[pmorey]

And of course, it’s on sale…

 

[Ukecaster]

And of course, it’s on sale…
View attachment 152040

I thought that was a joke, but he really does sell it on his website. That says a lot.

 

[Ziret]

I would also strongly favor #1.

I think we do a pretty good job of policing ourselves. If there is a post that seems harsh or unfair, I think others post with their own contradictory experiences. Has happened several times with HMS and I think was just demonstrated in the Uke Republic thread. And I’m not meaning to say the UR post was harsh or unfair, it seems that poster did have a legit bad experience.

As one who posted several times in the infamous TC thread, I personally was just trying to bring bad behavior to light and not resort to personal attacks.

BTW, I’m not going to bump that thread, but he is literally selling Snake Oil now. I’m not joking.

Really? He’s selling something I really want and can’t find elsewhere. But I cannot bring myself to buy from him. It was bad enough when all I knew about him was his ads and YouTube videos.

 

[Ziret]

And of course, it’s on sale…
View attachment 152040

Oh my god. Full huckster mode

 

[Steedy]

I'm inclined toward Option #1 - Maintain status quo, on this particular issue. Thanks!

 

[MarTay6]

Old favorite saying- "If you don't like the answer, change the question."

 

[ksiegel]

This issue arose in response to a member sharing their opinions on an experience with a well-known and (on the forum) well-respected business. The poster was not making a personal attack, but was providing a summary of what they considered was a negative experience.

Another poster responded that UU shouldn't be a platform for a one-sided negative review without offering some sort of balanced opportunity for the business in question to respond. Since this is not really something under our control, I can only see these options:

1. Maintain status quo - as long as there are no personal attacks (ahem, tread lightly on those TCMS posts, please), and the poster is not using inflammatory or derogatory language, leave negative feedback threads alone.
2. Delete negative feedback threads or posts - any positive feedback is fine, but any negative experiences would be open for deletion.
3. Delete all feedback threads or posts - to maintain absolute balance, no one is allowed to make any kind of post about their experiences with any business, good or bad.

Personally, I don't have a problem with people leaving negative reviews, as long as it's done in a civil, reasonable manner. I rely a lot on this forum to find out whether I should use a given business. I don't think a handful of posts about negative experiences is necessarily going to destroy a business' reputation, especially set against all the glowing reviews by many other members (I know that I am critical of negative reviews, using them to somewhat influence my expectations but not necessarily to paint them black). If a business truly offers poor customer service, those experiences are likely to far outweigh the positive ones, and the reader can make up their mind about that.

Here is a personal note, and not necessarily representative of the opinions of anyone else on the moderator team or UU forum staff: I really hate having to delete stuff or shut people down. I get that it's part of my job, and I absolutely don't have a problem with it when it's breaking the rules, or really being offensive, or being taken too far into a personal attack, but I seem to have a very different meter than many people here, so I struggle a lot with that. I am brand new to this moderator gig, and not having had the experience of breaking up flame wars and dealing with the resultant fallout, I am probably very naive.

Anyway, weigh in, and let us know your thoughts, please.

Maintain the status quo; deleting the posts state that the OP did not have a valid experience.

Even if I disagree with a poster, it wasn't my experience. And, as seen in the political spectrum, claiming that a person has violated "rules of decorum" can be a really negative experience for all.

-Kurt​

 

[ploverwing]

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I appreciate your thoughtful responses.

Status quo it is, and we'll keep monitoring those reports.

Cheers!
Amie