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Reading online reviews without being fooled

Star ratings are easy to fake and easy to misread. Reading reviews well is mostly about ignoring the headline number and looking at the spread, the recency and the way the company replies.
6 min leestijd·Onafhankelijke informatie

Short answer

Look at the spread, not the average. Read the most recent reviews and the 1- and 2-star reviews carefully. Pay attention to how the company replies to complaints, not to praise. Cross-check at least two platforms (Google + an independent one) before you decide.

Where to look

  • Google Business Profile. Hardest to game, easiest to find. Sort by 'Newest' and 'Lowest'.
  • Trustpilot. Useful for tone of voice and how the company handles disputes.
  • Trade body listings. Companies under a Dutch trade body (e.g. BouwGarant, VLOK) often have a separate review channel that is harder to manipulate.
  • Local Facebook groups. Less polished, more honest. Search for the company name in your town's homeowner group.

How to read them properly

  • Spread, not average. A 4.8 with 20 reviews is weaker than a 4.4 with 300.
  • Recency. A company can lose its best crew in a year. Weight the last 12 months heavier than the last 5 years.
  • Specificity. Real reviews mention dates, towns, names and small details. Fakes do not.
  • Responses to negatives. A calm, specific reply to a 2-star review tells you what aftercare looks like.
  • The 3-star reviews. Often the most honest of all — happy enough to write, unhappy enough to be specific about what went wrong.

Red flags

FAQ

FAQ

Veelgestelde vragen

01Is a 4.9 average review score a good sign?
Not on its own. A high average with only 12 reviews tells you very little. A 4.4 average across 250 reviews is far more useful, because the spread is honest.
02How do I spot fake reviews?
Look for short, generic 5-star reviews posted within days of each other, often from accounts with no other activity. Real reviews mention dates, place names and small details a fake reviewer never bothers with.
03Does a company need to reply to every review?
No, but how they reply to the negative ones tells you the most. A calm, specific reply to a complaint is worth more than ten cheerful 'thank you!' replies to praise.
Conclusie
Online reviews are not a verdict. They are a starting point. Combine them with a real reference call and a real site visit, and you have something far more reliable than any star rating on its own.