Frequently asked questions: Making a comment
Can I make a comment on any business in Australia?
Yes. If your search for a business in the 'Make a comment' part of HelpfulComments produces no results, you can still make a helpful comment. We will endeavour to contact the business concerned and if they join, they will receive your comment and you will be eligible to receive reward points depending on how helpful the business finds the comment.
Do I need to provide my contact details, such as name and phone number to the business?
You don't need to, no, but if you'd like the business to contact you outside of HelpfulComments, you can always include your contact details in the body of your comment.
If the business can decide how many points to give, why would they give any?
You can review a business' Reward History before making a comment (during the Make a Comment process). Businesses know this, so they provide reward points for helpful comments received, so as not to risk missing out on your thoughts.
One of my comments has been labelled as 'bogus'. What does this mean?
It means the business thinks the comment made is false or misleading. A false or misleading comment is obviously not very helpful and so is unlikely to attract reward points. It is also a breach of our Community values and is strongly discouraged. Any member who has three comments labelled as bogus will have their account suspended for 90 days and will be unable to redeem points or make further comments during this time. You can respond to a business that has labelled your comment as bogus to clarify your comment and the business can reverse the bogus classification.
How can I easily spell check my comments?
Spell checking on HelpfulComments is easy by either:
- Downloading and using Firefox as your web browser. One in three web users use Firefox, it includes spell checking on all forms, such as HelpfulComments and it's free. Go to http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
Or
- Download and install ieSpell from iespell.com. It's a free add-in to Microsoft Internet Explorer and will show a spell check button in the tool bar and the Tools menu, works just like spell checking in Word. Go to http://www.iespell.com/
Frequently asked questions: Receiving a comment
How many reward points should I give to each comment?
It depends on how helpful you find the comment - the more helpful, the more points you award. One way to think about how many points to award is to look at what other businesses have done. This is shown in the Rewards History Graph in the top right hand side of the My Corporate Account screen. The graph shows you what proportion of comments are rewarded with 0-100 points, 101-250 points and so on. You can see your track record and compare it to the average for all HelpfulComments businesses. Don't forget that people making comments can also see this graph, before they leave you a comment.
How can I let my customers know I'd like to receive helpful comments?
We have prepared a range of point-of-sale material to help you get the word out. It can be found under the 'Merchandise' tab on the 'My corporate account' screen, once you've logged in, or under the Corporate tab at the top of the Home page.
It's also important to let all staff know about your use of HelpfulComments. There is a flyer available for download here, but the simplest way to get staff comfortable in explaining how it works is to get them to log-in and join as a user. They can start by leaving their helpful comments about the way your business could be improved!
I've got more than one location. Do I need more than one subscription for my business?
It's not necessary, but it's a good idea because:
1) it makes it easier for your customers to leave feedback for the business that they have dealt with;
2) the manager for that area can log in and see feedback that relates to their business, respond to it, track, manage and analyse it all without having to go through head office;
3) it frees up head off time to focus on growing the business.
But can I still see the comments left for all of my subscriptions from one log-in? For example if I have multiple stores?
Yes. Our Enterprise subscription allows you to do just that, giving you access to the comments left for any number of locations listed. This lets head office see the comments left for all stores, while individual store managers see only the comments that are left for their businesses. Enterprise subscriptions also allow detailed analysis across businesses, so that broad trends can be identified. Click here for an on-line demonstration or contact us to discuss further.
I have received a comment that looks bogus - a clear lie. What should I do?
False or misleading comments are a breach of our Community values and are strongly discouraged. The first step is to attempt to clarify the comment made. Give the benefit of the doubt - perhaps an honest mistake has been made in the detail of the comment, or they've accidentally sent a comment to you that was meant for another business. Respond to the comment with some clarifying questions. If the ensuing dialogue still leaves you convinced the comment is false or misleading, you can reward the comment with zero points.
One further step is to mark the comment as 'bogus' (there is a 'Bogus comment' check box on the Comment Detail page). This will mean the comment does not count towards your Reward History. Any user that has comments marked as bogus from three different businesses is suspended and cannot use the site, but can continue to communicate on that comment with the businesses concerned.
I have a number of comments that are listed as 'Unread', even though I've opened and read them. How do I mark them as 'Read'?
At the bottom of the comment detail page, you'll see a button, 'Update'. Be sure to click on this once you've read through the comment and the comment will be marked as 'Read'.