Everyone's a Critic

Winning Customers in a Review-Driven World

By: Bill Tancer

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

How businesses can harness the power of online consumer reviews. More than seventy percent of consumers now consult online reviews before making purchases, and they take those picks and pans very seriously. A disgruntled but ignorant customer on Yelp might have more clout than any expert guidebook, magazine article, or newspaper critic. No wonder many businesses feel terrified by the review-driven marketplace. But some savvy businesses have figured out how to navigate - and even profit from - the new world of ubiquitous customer reviews. Bill Tancer takes listeners on a fascinating journey inside that world, revealing how sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and many others are changing the way we interact. Listeners learn, for instance, why one Los Angeles barber decided to advertise his one-star Yelp reviews; what's behind the highest-rated locksmith service in New York City; and how one scrappy hotel figured out how to become the highest rated in London. Tancer's fascinating stories and data-driven research show how online reviews can be a huge help to business owners, once they learn how to leverage them.

©2014 Bill Tancer (P)2014 Gildan Media LLC

A must-read for business owners

Even someone like me who has 57 5 star reviews and Google and multiple reviews and Yelp can find something new worth a read for sure

A must read for today's customer service pro's

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I work in a industry suffering under the weight of our review driven culture and its' easy to get discouraged. Mr Tancer's book was able to lend new insight into how to make even bad reviews work for my business. Since on line reviews don't seem to be going away any time soon why not learn as much about how to make them work for me as possible, right?. I would recommend this to every small business owner as well as anyone else working in a customer service based industry.

What other book might you compare Everyone's a Critic to and why?

I am a fan of Tancer's first book, Click, and I would likely compare it to that in terms of it's ability to take subject matter that could be overwhelming for most and break into down into managable "bite sized" pieces that make it accessible and relevant me.

What does Sean Pratt bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

If a book is really important to my work, I will listen to it a couple of times after having read it so that I can glean as much from the material as possible. While Sean Pratt does a masterful job, I am disappointed that the author did not narrate his work this time given what a great job he did with Click. If the author is skilled at narration ( and I would say Tancer is) I always find it more appealing to listen to him or her deliver their own material. After all, who better to bring it alive that the person who has lived with it before committing it to the page. For me at least, it seems to add a dimension and color that a stranger, even a well trainer professional such as Mr Pratt, simply cannot do.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I love the story about Jay from Lockbusters. He's is a fine example of what's possible when a professional thinks oust side the box and makes exceeding customer expectations the least you can expect instead of exception. I've used his example with my own clients.

I was also entertained to hear the author address is own critical reviews and suggest ways to help those of us who may be dreading it to go ahead and pull the band aid off.

Any additional comments?

Whatever subject matter the author tackles next time, I hope he will consider narrating himself again.
Easy read, good information.

Ironic to review a book about reviews...

What did you like best about Everyone's a Critic? What did you like least?

Everyone's a Critic provided insights gathered from multiple sources and how to apply them to a small business. However, the book was clearly written to the owner of a small business, but all the concepts can be utilized as an employee of a larger business.

What did you like best about this story?

The author utilized a lot of examples of how small business owners utilized some techniques to maximize the utility of online reviews.

What aspect of Sean Pratt’s performance would you have changed?

The narrator speaks well and is easy to listen to. However, some long pauses feel unnatural and have me glancing down at my iPhone to make sure its still playing. This can be distracting at times.