Why Recommendations Might Not Help Your Decision to Buy (The Nigerian Context)

We seek protection for our money, time and effort when we seek recommendations to inform our decision to procure goods and services. Our usual sources of recommendations are : family members, friends or sometimes friends of friends whom we feel share our interests and would recommend only the best or those they have tried or tested. We rely on the safety nest we build for ourselves in their recommendation(s).

This might sometimes not work because our preferences might not be replicas of theirs or their judgment of our preferences might actually be wrong. Subjectivity comes to play most times and I dare say how many people are 100 percent objective when buying? We are often times buying from someone because the seller is our friend, the seller is courteous, the seller also bought from us and we are returning the patronage, the seller will get offended if we are seen buying from someone else, the seller needs help, and buying from them might be a boost, the seller was recommended by a family member and is expecting us to at least buy from them once or we are just buying from them because they have been bugging us that we haven't patronized them.

Recommendations sometimes cloud our judgment and walk us straight into what we were trying to prevent when we sought them. We let down our guards, ticking all necessary buying consideration boxes without actually verifying them. Alas! We are thrown into the cold hands of less than acceptable products and services and only then do we remember all we failed to do. Reality check - family can't be blamed, friend can't be held responsible, friends of friends can't be reached. Even when they choose to step in, they really can't do much, as they are not the customers who transacted with the business you have a problem with.

Take it or leave it, do your necessary checks regardless of who recommends anyone to you. Many people and businesses ain't loyal these days. We are in the age of false customer testimonials, false reviews, bought ratings and whatever else is false. All you have is you, your money, your hunches and may be social media to rant with a 0.00001 chance of redress. So, why not scrutinize as much as you can and let your conscience and purse give you some pats on the back should poop hit the fan.

You can let go of all these jargon if it is not hard earned money.

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