It is important that your business is able to manage the reviews in a respectful manner because the response you provide allows you to appear credible so that the image of the business is maintained.

Why Responding To Customer Reviews Matters

Whether the reviews are negative or positive, it is important to respond to both. With reviews online being public, any current or future customers are able to see them and make a determination to buy that is based on them.

Customer Retention is Improved

There are many strategies to consider when your business is looking to acquire or retain customers. While both acquiring and retaining customers is important for a successful business, many decide to focus on acquiring customers more often. But, in reality, it is best to respond to customer reviews to help retain a customer.

This method is very affordable and retaining customers is quite simple. Plus, with so much technology today, having a personal touch by responding to a review says a lot about a business and whether it truly cares about their customers.

When feedback is given a review, you are able to provide a personal experience to the customer. This interaction will likely retain the customer and you may earn a repeat purchase in the future. This return visit may be a result of the response their review obtained.

Responding to Reviews that are Positive

When reviews are read, it is important to remain as polite as possible. So when a positive review is given, the customer is providing you with a positive compliment concerning a product or service you offer. By responding positively with a simple “Thank you” will add even more positivity.

Below are some tips on how to respond to customer reviews that are positive

• First, you need to provide a genuine “Thank you” for their feedback as you acknowledge their issue.
• Remain friendly, energetic, and as helpful as possible. Provide a quick resolution and availability to get their issue handled fast.
• Offer direct lines of communication to take the conversation offline. Keep professional.

Responding to Reviews that are Negative

Whether you think that the products you offer are the best, there will always be a time when a customer will not agree with you and provide a negative review. A lot of times the review may not be directed toward your business, but the logistics involved, such as shipping, or the point of sale. However, the concerns they have are able to make you and your company look bad. But when you are able to turn the negative experience around by having their issue resolved, then you could see the negative review become positive.

Below are some tips on what to stay away from when a review is negative.

• Never quote a policy. When you do, you may end up experiencing more mocking from a customer. You are better off with making an explanation of why something is done.
• Providing communication that is rambling on and on will only frustrate customers more. This could make the whole situation become distorted. It is good to be empathetic and provide simple responses.
• Providing inadequate answers that are unrelated to the issue at hand. When a response is not related to the issue, then the customer will expect their experience to be the same.

Engaging Customers for a Review

When you are engaging a customer, you can easily ask for them to provide a review or feedback concerning their experience after they make a purchase. Ensure that everyone feels encouraged to provide feedback so that you are able to gather a varied amount of feelings and sentiments that are legitimate and authentic. Try to stay away from having too many perfect reviews.

If you decide to have a follow-up message sent, ensure that you do it sooner than later following the interaction. Ensure that your response is short, sweet, and to the point.