Why the Dutch Expat Shop Review Policy Provides a Fair Representation
Online reviews play an important role when choosing an online store. However, not every review platform gives the same realistic picture of a company’s actual service quality. At Dutch Expat Shop, we deliberately use a transparent and active review policy through Kiyoh / Klantenvertellen to ensure that customer feedback reflects genuine experiences.
Actively Requesting Reviews Through Kiyoh
Every customer of Dutch Expat Shop automatically receives an invitation to leave a review on Kiyoh / Klantenvertellen approximately two weeks after their order has been shipped. This means that all customers are invited to share their experience — not just customers who had a negative experience.
This is an important difference compared to many other review platforms. Because we actively invite reviews, the result is a balanced mix of positive, neutral, and critical feedback. This creates a more honest and representative overview of how customers truly experience our service.
Nearly 1,400 Reviews in the Past 12 Months
This active review approach also results in a large number of recent and relevant reviews. In the past 12 months alone, nearly 1,400 customers have submitted a review on Kiyoh.
In total, Dutch Expat Shop has received no fewer than 9,225 reviews, and our review profile has been viewed almost 110,000 times on Kiyoh. This demonstrates how important independent customer experiences are for shoppers before placing an order.
Why Other Platforms Can Create a Distorted Picture
On other review platforms, such as Trustpilot, we do not actively invite customers to leave reviews. As a result, these platforms often attract a different type of feedback.
In practice, customers with a negative experience are generally more likely to leave a review on their own initiative than customers whose orders were completed successfully without issues. This is natural consumer behavior — people are more motivated to share frustrations than routine positive experiences.
When a company does not actively invite reviews, this can create a distorted representation of the overall customer experience. The total number of reviews is usually lower, and the balance between positive and negative feedback is less representative of the complete customer base.
This does not mean negative reviews are unimportant — quite the opposite. Critical feedback helps us continue improving our processes and customer service. However, it is important to understand the context in which reviews are collected.
Transparency Is Our Priority
At Dutch Expat Shop, we believe that trust starts with transparency. That is why we consciously choose a review platform where every customer is actively invited to share feedback.
This helps new customers gain a more realistic understanding of our service, delivery process, and customer support. At the same time, it allows us to continue learning from the experiences of thousands of customers worldwide.
When evaluating online reviews, it is therefore important not only to look at the average score, but also at how reviews are collected. That ultimately makes the difference between a snapshot of opinions and a truly representative overview.