Product reviews have been around for as long as we can remember online shopping. In fact, many shoppers these days don’t purchase anything online unless they have read reviews and sought out the feedback of other buyers. Nearly every online shopper out there has found out the hard way that sometimes, products fall severely short of expectations even though the company made them sound fantastic. That is where reviews come in handy and why you should make it a point to read the reviews before you buy them.
Why Reviews Could Save Your Dollars
You can find a product review for almost anything these days. From clothing items, household furniture, to food and beverage items like coffee and coffee machines, a quick search online is all you need to tell you if a product or service is going to be a worthy investment for your hard-earned dollars.
Some items don’t come cheap, especially electronics and household appliances. One such household appliance that every coffee-loving home needs are a coffee machine. For example, if you were looking to buy a new coffee machine, you would go online and read the coffee reviews about a particular brand from other buyers who came before you. You’ll read the reviews about the machines, accessories, grinders, syrups, and even the coffee, and this is why you would (and should) do it:
- The Reviews Tell You What You Need to Know – Nothing says more about a product than the honest opinion of others who have tried it, tested it, and either loved or didn’t love it. Reviews give you the first-hand information you need to narrow down your options and make a well-informed decision. Reviews are your honest source of information, revealing details that the company themselves wouldn’t put out there in their advertising. It gives you a real-life experience from a customer who has already bought the product, tried it, is currently using it, and how they think the product has lived up to their expectations. Plus, reading honest reviews will tell you what to expect once you’ve got the product and some reviews will even give you suggestions about how to get the most out of it. This way, when you’re keying in the information at the checkout, you have the confidence of knowing this is going to be the coffee machine that you want.
- It Helps You Decide If This Is What You’re Looking For – The company will always tell you that theirs is the product you’re looking for. But is it true? Well, the reviews will be the answer to that question. Let’s use the coffee machines example again. When you’re trying to decide between brands like Russell Hobbs, De’Longhi, Nespresso, or Aerobie, you’ll want to have all the facts at your fingertips. With review comparisons on your side, you’ll have the power to decide which product is going to meet all your needs and deliver what it promises. This way, you won’t be disappointed once you receive your purchase, and we all know a time or two when we have suffered from buyer’s remorse.
- Expensive Products Need Careful Consideration – Coffee machines can be pricey, depending on the model you are going for. For some, saving that kind of cash to make the splurge requires sacrifice, and you want that sacrifice to pay off in the end. The range of feedback you get with reviews will reveal a lot of hidden details you might not have thought about when trying to make a decision. A review could point out something that makes you say, “Wow! I never thought of that!” Reviews highlight the specifics of the product that advertising doesn’t cover, and they point out information that makes you think about whether this coffee machine is going to be useful for you or not. Pay special attention to the customers that gave a machine less than five or four-star reviews and see what they have to say. It could be a minor reason why they didn’t love the product. Reviews are a lot better than relying on advertising alone.
- It Highlights the Company’s Customer Service – Honest product reviews are by far the best barometer to measure if a company cares about its customers or not. A company that cares is a company that will go the extra mile to ensure their customers are nothing but happy. Excellent customer service gives you the reassurance that you need about how purchasing this brand of coffee machine is not going to be a decision that you are going to regret. You’ll be happy that you chose a company that offers excellent customer service when it comes to warranty claims or in the event that your machine is one of the rare ones that happens to malfunction after a few times (it does happen every now and then). Steer clear of companies that offer poor customer service or drag their heels at responding to the customer’s queries or claims. The only thing more frustrating than buying a disappointing product is having to deal with equally disappointing customer service.
- Reviews Tell You The Products Pros and Cons – Understanding the product’s pros and cons will point out the product’s shortcomings that you might not have anticipated from your initial research. Most reviews talk about the product’s strengths and why they are useful, but there will be the occasional review here and there that highlights the drawbacks of owning a certain brand of the coffee machine. In doing so, some reviews might even point out other brands that you might not have considered that could do a better job when it comes to your coffee-making needs. A brand that might not have been on your initial shortlist could suddenly be something to consider after reading all those reviews.
There is one, very simple reason why reviews are so popular. They are honest. This isn’t going to be like the (sometimes) false advertising of the products you see. The honest feedback you see will save you time, effort, and regret in the long run, so always read your coffee machine reviews before you add them to the cart.