I have been working with business owners for close to a decade and recently (or as recent as 3 years can be) I have noticed a lot of grumbling regarding online ratings and how to deal with the feedback.
For the most part business owner's with great ratings are of course pleased but make no further effort to engage with the customer. However, those businesses with less than stellar reviews typically fall into two camps. Camp one bury their heads in the sand and hope it will all go away. While those in camp two attempt to rectify the situation.
Regardless of which category a business owner is in, one aspect remains the same...not enough consideration is given to the importance of online reviews. According to recent studies 73% of people trust online reviews and 63% of people actively seek out online reviews when making a purchasing decision (Nuanced Media, 2011).
Some businesses do have a handle on how the system works and understand that online reviews give small businesses a significant edge over their competitors. So those business spend a majority of their time addressing customers who have given less than perfect scores. While it is important to try and pacify a less than happy customer, it is equally important that attention is paid to those customers who took the time to sing your praises.
So if you are pressed for time and can only do the basics...
Happy Customers:
Let the people who award you with four or five star reviews know they are appreciated! A five star review is amazing (there are some people out there who pride themselves on NEVER awarding five stars, so don't sweat it if they are few and far between) and a four star review is great, but it means there is room for improvement. This is the moment to find out what could have been done to improve a customers experience. Not only is this an opportunity for you to get to know a satisfied customer (who will most likely be back) but it also gives you critical insight into how your business is perceived. As they say in the corporate world this is a win-win situation. The customer will be delighted with attention and you receive feedback on how to improve your business.
Let the people who award you with four or five star reviews know they are appreciated! A five star review is amazing (there are some people out there who pride themselves on NEVER awarding five stars, so don't sweat it if they are few and far between) and a four star review is great, but it means there is room for improvement. This is the moment to find out what could have been done to improve a customers experience. Not only is this an opportunity for you to get to know a satisfied customer (who will most likely be back) but it also gives you critical insight into how your business is perceived. As they say in the corporate world this is a win-win situation. The customer will be delighted with attention and you receive feedback on how to improve your business.
We all know the story of the unhappy vs. happy customer and how quickly a bad experience gets around via word-of-mouth (in case you don't...it spreads like wildfire). This person took the time to share with thousands of others how great they think you are and that deserves a thank you.
Disgruntled Customers:
Reach out to the customers who leave mediocre and poor reviews. Reply to them privately and ask them to for an account of their experience. Contrary to popular belief reviews can be revised, so it is up to you to find out what went wrong and how it can be fixed. How you approach an unhappy customer is critical, meaning humor and a patronizing tone will not be appreciated. Most of the time the problem turns out to be a simple misunderstanding that can easily be rectified. But what really counts is that you are taking them seriously. People, for the most part, just want to be heard.
Reach out to the customers who leave mediocre and poor reviews. Reply to them privately and ask them to for an account of their experience. Contrary to popular belief reviews can be revised, so it is up to you to find out what went wrong and how it can be fixed. How you approach an unhappy customer is critical, meaning humor and a patronizing tone will not be appreciated. Most of the time the problem turns out to be a simple misunderstanding that can easily be rectified. But what really counts is that you are taking them seriously. People, for the most part, just want to be heard.
Its true, this does take time out of your busy work schedule but if you do this on a consistent basis you will have gained a foothold on the online review process.
Lynnae Howard is a Social Media and Reputation Management consultant located in Silicon Valley. For more information on how you can turn your business around with the help of Social Media and managing your online reputation contact Lynnae for a free confidential consultation with Small Biz Twist.
Lynnae Howard is a Social Media and Reputation Management consultant located in Silicon Valley. For more information on how you can turn your business around with the help of Social Media and managing your online reputation contact Lynnae for a free confidential consultation with Small Biz Twist.
