Our last blog post detailed the first two steps when trying to manage your company’s online reputation and put in place an online review system. This post will be covering the final two steps: 1) respond to reviews and 2) seek out additional reviews.
Respond to Reviews
Responding to reviews is a delicate matter, especially when the review is a negative one. A good rule-of-thumb is listen to the customer and don’t argue. With a bad review, privately respond to the individual to learn more about what happened and what you can do to resolve the situation. More often than not, this is an opportunity to turn an unhappy customer into a satisfied one. Afterwards, make sure the user either revises their original online review, or that you respond publicly, summarizing the actions your business has taken.
Seek Out Additional Reviews
If you have many customers, a small percentage of them are going to be unhappy. Instead of having an online argument visible to all, ensure that the number of positive reviews materially outweighs the few negative reviews that every sizeable business will unfortunately generate. Seek out additional reviews by sending emails to your customers with links to the main review sites and directions on how and where to write a review. Asking for reviews works, and will result in your business receiving more positive reviews than it would otherwise.
Want more tips about how to handle your business’ online reviews? Contact us for additional information.