Reviews

Reviews come in many shapes and sizes. Most of us in the workforce undergo an annual review to make sure we and the boss are on the same page as far as how we are doing in job performance. If you have ever had a book published, a song recorded, acted in a play, performed in a concert or had a major part in a movie, most likely you have been reviewed. Reviewing can be seen as a form of critiquing. Critiquing can easily degrade into nit picking and rampant negativity. Most of us are not fond of reviews.

There is a relatively new form of reviewing that came of age on the internet: people who have used a particular product or service writing reviews of their experiences and letting people know if they did or did not enjoy the product or experience. I love these things. If considering visiting a restaurant or a car dealer or a resort or before going to a movie or buying a product, I always check out the reviews. Something I have noticed about restaurant reviews is that the quality of a restaurant’s reviews can change rapidly. I suppose that is due to a turnover in wait staff or a new main cook/chef coming on board. So when it comes to restaurant reviews, check the dates of the reviews.

I will tell you that there are several things I purchase with confidence without the need of a recent review. Some of those things would be shirts of a brand I am familiar with, engine oil, cleaning products, much of my groceries, and office products. With that in mind you can understand why I was surprised and tickled when my wife caledl to report she had been purchasing office supplies on-line from Staples and ran across an interesting review. It was a review for paper clips. That’s right, paper clips. Here is what it said: “Heading: Like a good woman – strong and flexible. Content: I like my women like I like my paper clips, able to keep it together without strain or drama. These premium paper clips do just that.”

That is a review I don’t really need. Really.

Copyright © 2014, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved