Best Practices and up to the minute news on Customer Experience Management and Service Excellence
Best Practices and up to the minute news on Customer Experience Management and Service Excellence
One of the first things consumers do before they make a decision on what to buy or where to go is look at reviews online. Regardless if you’re a high-end hotel or you’re selling sponges, chances are that people want to know how you compare to what’s out there.
The more customer reviews you have publicly available, the more opportunities you have to show potential customers what you’re like. But a common struggle is getting reviews in the first place. Few people go out of their way to leave a review if they enjoyed your product or service — but there’s a better chance they will if they’re unhappy.
To make sure you’re using the power of reviews to your advantage, try implementing these five strategies.
The first step to getting more reviews is making sure customers have a place to leave them. Some common platforms businesses use are Google My Business, TrustPilot and Yelp.
The advantage of having a review profile over, say, an anonymous submission form on your website is people can read what people have to say about you and how you respond to them.
By creating those profiles and letting people easily read and contribute to them, you’re being transparent and building trust — which customers value a lot.
Your review sites probably won’t gain much traction if they’re not in the right places. You should meet your customers where they are — both online and in person.
When you’re face to face with happy customers, encourage them to leave a review as they’re leaving or checking out. Make it as easy for them as possible. That could include having them scan a QR code or fill out a survey on a tablet you provide. The fewer steps it takes for them to leave a review, the more likely they are to do it.
Plug your review sites in your emails as well. If you email a check-out confirmation or a receipt for a product, consider adding your links there. They’re already anxiously expecting an official confirmation of something — so you know they’re likely to open it and pay attention.
Social media is also another great opportunity for you to garner reviews. The people following you on your platforms are probably already your fans. Posting links to your review sites on social media gives old and new supporters of yours a chance to show they appreciate you.
As we mentioned earlier, people are usually only ever motivated to leave reviews if they had a negative experience. If they had a positive experience, you can motivate them to leave reviews by offering discounts or giveaways.
It’s common for restaurants to offer discounts to customers who leave a Yelp review above three or four stars. That boosts the number of positive reviews you receive while possibly building a loyal customer.
The discount or giveaway doesn’t have to be huge or extravagant. But if it’s too small, people might not view it as worth their time. So test a few different incentives out and find out what your customers respond to.
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