4.7

It happened. On Google Maps we now have 4.7 instead of the 4.8 we proudly held for five years. Well, 4.7 is still very cool. It is a fantastic result of hard work, and I am proud of it. We held onto that number for 1,600 reviews. Honest ones.

The positive news is that I know exactly where that missing 0.1 went. It is the price of caring for Fenster. The price of experience and the cost of adjusting to reality.

It is simple. The wave of one-star ratings on Google Maps came 99% from people who openly explained why—because we are now “too expensive” in general, and in particular because our legendary Fensterccino costs €9.50 instead of the long-standing €5.50.

Watching these reviews made it clear that the overwhelming majority of “reviewers” had never actually visited Fenster. They were rating based on newspaper articles and blogger posts. In a way, it was an attempt to “cancel” Fenster.

Here is the context in a few words.

Reasons

• Inflation this year. Clear as day. Some items now cost us three to five times more than before, others “only” 20–30% more. And yes, it is noticeable.
• Inflation over the past four years. We had not raised our prices in over four years. That built up a gap. Together with the first reason, the solution became obvious.
• Profitability during growth. Yes, we are successful, but our net profit margin is not as big as it looks. We grew fast, and so did our costs. We tried hard to keep prices as low as possible to attract more visitors.

Now there are enough visitors that we can start earning properly.

Consequences

It is very hard to measure exactly how our price adjustment and the dip in our rating have affected us financially. But combined with other factors, autumn demand is about 20% lower than in spring, while revenue is up roughly 10% when comparing similar time frames.

It is also important to note that the drop in demand is not unique to us—it is visible across the entire market at the moment. Which is why I would say the timing of our price adjustment was perfect. It is helping us stay liquid.

But honestly, this post is not about prices. The real issue is that Google Maps ratings show their limits in real-world conditions. A rating does not reflect the actual user experience. And even if it does, it does not necessarily say anything about product quality or service. A rating is simply how a customer personally perceives the business.

It is a little like the parliament of some country. Very few countries can say they are proud of their parliament. And yet—someone voted them in.