Do you remember what it was like to travel or try a new restaurant before there were reviews?
Do you remember having to pick vacation spots, hotels, or restaurants in a new city before there was TripAdvisor or Yelp?
I have to admit, it’s difficult for me to think back. I honestly can’t remember how we would pick hotels or fun things to do in cities. I guess we used those paper things from those places that keep them. (Libr… something?)
Now that we live in a world where we can read a review about anything we do before we do it, making decisions is much easier.
However, there is a downside to the mentality of reviews. If you pay attention, you will notice that you are inevitably guilty of this: Often, we notice negative aspects of our experiences only because we read about them in reviews.
When you read that a restaurant is great, but the music is too loud. You will probably be listening out for the music.
When someone posts on TripAdvisor that a hotel is great, but the walk to the elevator is too long and the views are often partially blocked by trees, you will notice those problems.
Most negative things we notice after reading a review aren’t negatives we would have noticed otherwise.
Try to think about this the next time you research reviews then experience something and put those negative items in context. Ask yourself “Would I have noticed this on my own?”
.
