I think the reason people get all crazy and bash the SP when they see an SP get a bad review is cause they've experienced the same and feel from elsewhere and they feel the need to jump on as well. There's that saying misery loves company.
That's the impression I get. And I noticed in a few of the threads I read, the folks adding to the negativity hadn't even seen that particular SW, they just jumped all over what she had allegedly done. (let's be honest, every review is a potential he-said/she-said scenario. As some of the SW's have stated here, they have been targetted with a negative review because of actions they took in their best interest. Conversely, some SW's are just bat-shit crazy - just like people in EVERY line of work!).
So I definitely do take every review (negative AND positive) with a grain of salt. Its just sad when a negative review (regardless of the reasons) leads to an uber-pile-on session with folks ragging on the SW's health, rules, the agency, sometimes other SW's...
As far as commenters above saying they don't leave negative reviews even when one is warranted, there's always some things to consider on why to do such a review (I'm sure we all do, but I'll re-hash anyway):
- unlike a business (restaurant, plumber, cars sales), we're generally talking about a human being in an intimate setting and, I'd like to believe, doing their best. I'd say a lot of negative reviews on Y3lp reflect a business/individual who clearly doesn't give a crap. If that's clearly the case with the SW, then also consider:
- maybe the SW was just having a BAD day. She (or he or they) need to make rent, pay for groceries, diapers, etc, and maybe they took on a client when a day-off was warranted. If everything else is goood and we just didn't "click" then I'll just try to point out the positives; not every client will click with every SW.
- maybe the client was in a state that made the SW nervous (ie, client had a lot on their mind and that reflected in how they were behaving, which raises SW's defences). So, if you've had a bad date, just take a few moments afterwards to ensure YOU were in a good state of mind, cause its hard to self-reflect on the impression you may have made.
- timeliness. This is a big one for me too - I often have just the window available that I've scheduled, so if a SW is more than 5min late, I think that's worth pointing out and encourage others do too. Its may not be a HUGE deal to many, but could be for some clients. Also doesn't mean she's late ALL the time, but if its pointed out in one review, maybe others can add their experience, contrary or not.
- cleanliness of the place. This one could be personal, as again, LIFE happens and if a SW is working from her place, she might not have had time to 'Martha Stewart' her place beforehand. I'd recommend some leniency on this one, unless its like REALLY bad.
- looks vs picture. Again, I think this one deserves some leniency, IMO. There can be some NASTY comments on forums/social media and we're talking about real humans. I think phrases like "pictures might be a few years old" probably says enough without getting personal. And if you're seeing someone who only has a few ads on LL that look like IG models, there's PROBABLY a few indicators that the pictures aren't going to match, lol!
- bad people. Its mentioned above that some SW's are just... not nice people! IMO, if that's the impression you're getting and you feel its pretty accurate (they're gossiping/bad-mouthing others, saying something racist, etc, etc), then that warrants a review to highlight that. I've NO interest in seeing such people; way too many good-hearted, wonderful SW's out there to waste time on someone filled with such hate.
Just my thoughts, take 'em or leave 'em.
