Best practices for responding to positive and negative reviews online
We take advantage of the opportunities that come with asking for customer feedback via our Customer Voice tool. We know that the value of our customers is voiced in their opinion and experience with our brand/business. Since using this tool we have seen that it is easy to maintain and cultivate our online community by properly responding to positive and negative reviews alike.
Customer Voice & You
These days, a business’s online reputation falls into the hands of the consumer. In our last blog, Brand Voice & Online Reputation, we talked about the importance of maintaining your online reputation through proper cultivation and maintenance. In 2019, we expect the value of listing sites and customer reviews to become even more relevant to the online reputation of businesses.
The relationship your customers have with your brand reflects in the online reviews that manifest as your online reputation. Here in the online aether, the customer has taken the reins on how your business is perceived by your current and potential consumer base. The way you respond can affect the decision of a potential customer. Create a detailed and personal response to each review that shows your business listens to the wants and needs of its customers.
Review and Response
Never leave a review unanswered. Whenever you ignore a review you show that your brand doesn’t care about the opinions or experience of a customer. Positive or negative, you should respond as quickly and politely as possible. Whenever you have a customer with a positive review you should respond by first thanking the customer personally for the positive review. Next, invite the reviewer to take advantage of an offer or discount for them. Here is an example response to a positive review:
Hello Sandy, thank you for the wonderful review. We’re so happy you enjoyed working with us. Next time you’re in the neighborhood, swing by and say hi!
Determining the Value of Your Business
We never like to hear about a customer having a poor experience with our business. In the case of a negative review, you must not believe that this person is a loss. Instead, think of them as an opportunity for redemption or an opportunity to learn and improve an experience with your brand/business. Again, you will want to address the reviewer directly and apologize for the poor experience that they had. Next, invite the reviewer to give more feedback with someone at your business and be sure to provide a name and a number that they can reach out to. Here is an example response to a negative review:
Hello Sandy, we sincerely apologize for the negative experience that you had with our company. We take our clients’ concerns very seriously and want to improve their experience with us to the best of our ability. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss this further with you. If you would be willing to talk further, please call our Office Manager, Katie Marshall at (334) 446-6149. Thanks, and have a great day.
The Bottom Line
We all want to keep the idea out of our minds and go back to the way things were when the conversation about your brand was one way. Now with the emergence of listing sites, that conversation is a two-way street with options of detours and extra avenues that lead to a dead man’s turn. Take back the conversation surrounding your business by utilizing the tools available to you!
You can read more about our Customer Voice tool via our Digital Services page HERE.
Posted: Dec 03, 2018