Online reviews can make or break a service provider. Reviews are powerful, having been found to have a comparable effect to word-of-mouth recommendations. However, when 95 percent of online reviews are positive, the 5 percent that are negative are more significant and can have a major impact on provider behaviour and customer retention.

Arne De Keyser, Professor of Marketing at EDHEC Business School, joins us in this session to discuss his new research that found a direct link between low ratings and the future behaviour of service providers using Airbnb and Lyft. Through analyzing incremental and average ratings systems, Professor De Keyser has uncovered the pros and cons of each system, illuminating ways that review systems can be used to change provider behaviour and, ultimately, retain customers.

Attendees to this session will learn:

• Professor De Keyser’s research: How do poor reviews impact customer and provider behaviour?
• Leveraging ratings systems to aid retention: How platforms such as Lyft and Airbnb use ratings systems to retain individual providers and their customers.
• Actioning the findings: Choosing between incremental versus average ratings systems and maximizing the value of reviews to drive customer loyalty.