Customer service is what can make or break your company, especially with the prevalence of online reviews. When your company is working hard to provide the best services for your customers, being able to respond to positive and negative online reviews will make you more visible to your market.
Resources to Track Reviews
Today, there are hundreds of resources to help maintain and respond to customer reviews. Take advantage of sites like Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, and Instagram which provide an outlet to respond to reviews. Every response you make can be seen by other customers outside of the one who posted. Platforms like Google My Business can help make sure you see every review and have the functionality to respond to it like a professional.
Pre-made Online Responses to Reviews
To make sure you can respond quickly to reviews, create a response list to aid in your efforts. Here are some tips on how to respond.
#1 Short responses work best
Keep your responses short and sweet. Move the conversation to another platform, such as an email to further the conversation. Customers want to know they have been heard. Do not dig your business into a deeper hole. Save the long responses for private emails and in-person conversations.
#2 Move the conversation to another platform
Save the lengthy responses off of the public platform, regardless of positive or negative comment status. Everything stays on the Internet forever, so it’s important to write short, positive online responses for the world to see and keep the intense conversations for a less visible platform.
#3 Write a call to action
Do not be afraid to promote deals and specials when responding to a customer. If it’s a positive review, try to recommend an upcoming promotion to make sure the customer considers coming back for a sale on your service. Incentives in combination with a positive response can help build customer loyalty and appreciation.
Importance of Listening to Online Reviews
While there is occasionally a rare internet troll or individual who puts a review for another company on your page, most of the time the people who take the time out of their day to review your business have a serious appreciation or anger towards your business.
Take this opportunity to read the review and listen to what the customer is saying. If it’s a positive review, take the time to understand what features of the business are appreciated by customers. Make note of the successes and be prepared to share positive notes with employees. Using reviews as an opportunity to celebrate your business and its team can help build morale and maintain a high-quality experience.
If the review is of a negative nature, sit down and decide what actions you can take to remedy the complaints. Whether it’s speaking with the employees at the specific location, or generating a chain-wide discussion, listening to feedback and taking action on mistakes or unpleasant experiences will help customers trust your business again. Always respond to online reviews to stay on top of complaints.
Online Reviews Aren’t Scary
Customers are not afraid to say how they feel, especially when an online platform is provided. They want to feel valued and heard. Creating a lively online review response system to reviews early in your business’ lifecycle will make your company more personable and put a face and personality behind the name.
Burkhart Marketing is experienced in reputation management and curating responses to your customers. Contact Burkhart Marketing today to set up a meeting on how to craft your customer response strategy.
