Sharper Image’s Ratings and Review Integration Has Dull Edge

There are a lot of people who are happy that gizmos and gadgets merchant The Sharper Image is back in the mail. I can tell by the label that Sharper Image got my name from office supplies superstore Staples and must have pegged me as someone who give the gift of cordless air compressors and motorized tie racks (hint: I’m on my wife’s Business Rewards card, which she got when she had a home office for Lenox Brands a few years back, but that’s another story for another day).

Anyway, Sharper Image took the leap and added some online customer ratings and reviews to its Holiday 2010 print catalog. This is one of the newer best practices for integrating your catalog and ecommerce channels, and I applaud any merchant for going multichannel.

But merchants should not just slap customer ratings and reviews amid their pages to be graphically appeasing. The cherry picked ratings and reviews need to add value for the consumer, give him a reason to check the product out online. And while we’re at it, make sure the customer ratings and reviews match up with the product, and that they are genuine.

Here’s an example on Page 11: Two pairs of video glasses – which are used to make it seem like the game you’re playing or video you’re watching is being viewed on a 46″ or 55″ screen – are described side-by-side. And a customer 5-out-of-5 rating and review to go along with it reads “It’s definitely one of the coolest gadgets…”

That customer review did not sway me into buying either pair of glasses. It just told me something I could already tell by seeing the product: It’s a cool gadget.

Now the two products that appear below the gadgets – an Internet radio with iPod dock and a set of wireless indoor/outdoor speakers – had a 5 out of 5 customer rating from “Peter from Rowayton, CT” that reads “Nice clear, and professional sound…”

Now based on its placement, I thought the rating and review was for the speakers. I looked the product up online, and there was one review, not by Peter.

So I checked out the Internet Radio. That product had one review, and got a 4 out of 5.

How about the Tower Stereo System on Page 10? No ratings and reviews yet.

The rotating iPod speaker on Page 10? No. Soundmatters Speaker System on Page 10? No. Personal Subwoofer on page 11? No. But, someone from Woodland Hills, CA gave all three of those products a 5 out of 5, and for two of the products, it was the only review.

So what product was this customer rating and review for, and who is this mystery man from Woodland Hills, CA who seems to be buying a lot of products from Sharper Image? Hopefully we’ll find out soon.