Learn how to spot the best online bakery in Gurgaon from the fake ones. Check out this guide on how to tune out online fake reviews, so that you’re not mislead and lose your hard-earned money on low-quality baked goods.
Are you an Instagram or Facebook user? Have you ever come across a picture of a beautifully-made cake that is so tempting, that your mouth started watering, the very instant you spotted that picture on your feed? You then tap on the profile of the bakery and head to the cake site. You see dozens and dozens of glowing 5-star reviews. You’re convinced of the quality and you go ahead and order it.
You’re in a shock – when you receive the cake at your doorstep. It looks nothing like the advertised picture and tastes too bad. You try calling the baker to complain but they ghost you! You’re bitter from the experience that you no longer trust online bakeries.
Have you ever experienced this scenario? If yes, welcome to the dark side of online selling – where companies fake it till their product makes it!
A recent market survey revealed that 8 in 10 customers agree that they’ve been duped by a fake review in the past year. The sad part – nearly 84% of customers reveal that they cannot always spot fake reviews.
If you have ever been duped by a fake review before or if you want to protect yourself from fake bakery reviews online, then you need this guide. We list out the top ways to spot fake bakery reviews online:
1. Look for overuse of personal pronouns like “I” and “me”
Recent research by Cornell University reveals that online reviews that overuse “I” and “me” are more likely to be staged. This is because when people are lying, they try to sound credible by using personal pronouns.
2. Too much scene setting
The Cornell study also found that too much scene setting is also a warning sign. Truthful bakery reviews are more likely to concentrate on the actual product like the taste of the cake, delivery experience, service and price.
Deceivers, on the other hand, write more about the scene like, “how the cake helped me celebrate the perfect birthday ever,” “it brought me so much joy, that I kept on dreaming about it for days to come,” and other blah, blah.
3. Watch out for generic names/photo-less reviews
Another easy way to spot fake reviews is to look for names of the reviewer. Most fake reviews are posted by outsourced companies who publish bulk reviews on a site using different accounts. Check if the name is generic like Rahul, Rajesh, Priya, Kajal, etc. Without any second names. Also, check if the reviewer has a profile picture. 90% of the times a review without a profile picture and an obviously fake name is fake.
4. Check the timing of the reviews
If you notice multiple reviews published simultaneously, one after another, then you can be sure that it’s a targeted campaign to add fake reviews. However, keep in mind that there are exceptions to this rule. The period after a major holiday like Christmas, Diwali, Women’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc. Get more reviews for a bakery and they are genuine.
5. Look for phrase repetition
Go through multiple reviews on a site. See if the same phrase is repeated in different reviews – too awesome, tastes like a slice of heaven, etc.
6. Dig into the profile of the reviewer
Google makes it easy to check the profile of the reviewer. See if they have reviewed other local businesses. For example, if the review is for online cake delivery near me in Gurgaon, then check if the reviewer has reviewed other businesses in Gurgaon. If he/she has given multiple reviews for several places in and around Gurgaon, then it’s mostly genuine.
7. Be aware of too positive or too negative reviews
If you notice that the reviewer has given only 5-star ratings with glowing praises for all businesses, then you can be sure that they are a professional reviewer who has got the product for free. Similarly, if the reviewer has only given negative reviews about all businesses, then you can assume that they are here to bash businesses and not to provide constructive feedback.
8. Look at the middle-of-the-road reviews
Reading reviews that fall in the middle of the pack (3 out 5 stars) is more helpful. These reviews tend to be more honest and insightful, and you can always be sure that they are genuine. As most fake reviewers leave either a 5-star rating or a 1-star negative rating.
9. Trust verified purchases
Sites like Amazon display a tag below the review stating if that the review is from a “verified” or “unverified” purchase. Unverified purchases are mostly fake, as the customer is not likely to have purchased the product or tried it themselves.
10. When you’re not sure, reach out to the reviewer
You can message the reviewer on Google local guides to ask questions about their review. Fake reviewers will not respond, but real reviewers are likely to provide you with more information.
Use these tips the next time, before you order cake delivery online. Learn how to weed out fake reviews from authentic reviews, and find the best online bakery in Gurgaon.
