Have you ever felt the fear and dread of opening your email in the morning and check for client feedback?
I bet you do!
Stress, increased heartbeat and adrenaline running in your veins. It’s hard to miss that!
The sensations are even greater when you arrive on the right website and see a couple of new reviews.
Now there’s only one thought in your mind, “God! Please… Let them be positive.”
Right?
And then, you notice that all seem to be okay except for one. Someone has just given you one star out of five. “Oh, no…” you say and click on the review.
The fun begins.
The customer is frustrated and informs you that your products are low-quality and the service couldn’t be any worse.
What should you do now?
Hide? Pretend you haven’t seen the review? Answer it?
By the way, what about the positive reviews you also received? I bet you’ve already forgotten about them, right?
Did you know that it’s equally vital for you to acknowledge and answer to both positive and negative reviews? That’s right!sa
Today I’m going to explain you why you should respond to the reviews you receive and how to do it.
Let’s begin!
Positive Reviews: Why Should I Answer Them?
You should respond to positive feedback because it has positive effects on your business.
They encourage one-time customers to make more purchases
By responding to positive reviews, you let your customers know you care about them and their opinion. This increases trust and fosters healthy relationships. As a result, your care and kindness makes them feel happier as well as more likely to buy your products again in the future.
They attract new customers
Let me ask you a question.
What do people do before buying an expensive product? They read reviews of the product and the company that sells it.
Now, if most of the customer feedback is positive and they see that you respond to it, they receive a message you care about people’s opinions. Also, they notice that you can be reached in case of troubles. Thus, the chances they’ll purchase your product are now higher than before.
Pretty simple, right?
They increase your online visibility
Did you know that when Google ranks a business, it searches for customer reviews, checks their number, type and consistency along with other factors? That’s right.
Now, if you encourage those customers who gave you positive reviews to further share them online, you’ll boost your visibility in search engines. But, why would they do that?
Well, research confirms that 70% of people will leave a review for business, when being asked to do so. Thus, all you need to do is to ask about it in your responses. That’s it.
Now, since you already know that responding to positive reviews is crucial to the development of your business, let’s now see how to actually do it like a Pro.
Positive Reviews: How Should I Answer Them?
Here are a few tips on how to respond to positive reviews and thus, increase trust and happiness of your customers as well as encourage more purchases:
Use their name
Your name is the core of your existence. When you hear it, it validates your existence and makes you feel positive about the person who addressed you by your name. It’s one of many psychological tricks you can use to influence people.
Use power words
Okay, let’s compare these two responses:
“Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!” and…
“Thank you for your lovely review, Kathy! I really appreciate your warm words.”
Which of the above responses do you find more appealing? The second one, right?
By using a person’s name and power words, you change the ordinary, unappealing “thank you” into a message full of positive emotions. It will bring a smile on everybody’s face. Don’t forget to do that.
Make a suggestion or offer something
Your response to a positive review doesn’t have to be a lonely “thank you.”
In addition to expressing your gratitude, you can also inform your customer about other products worth to try, offer a discount or a bonus. There are many possibilities. And remember, make your customers feel like VIPs. Always.
Negative Reviews: What Should I Do About Them?
No one wants to receive a negative review.
After all, negative feedback can make you feel upset, sad or even result in work depression. However, without it, your business won’t develop.
Why?
Because only from the unhappy customers can you learn about what’s wrong with your products and services. Thus, you discover what requires your attention and needs to be changed or improved.
Now, there are three types of negative reviews:
- Rational reviews: a person informs you in a non-vulgar way about the issue with the product they purchased and gives you a legitimate opinion.
- Irrational reviews: a person is overreacting, his or her opinion is irrational, illogical or otherwise absurd (such people might also be frequent complainers).
- False or inappropriate reviews: a person (might be your competitor) gives you a malicious review full of vulgar words, profanity and private information.
As far as the irrational and false reviews are concerned, you can either decide not to respond, ask the site to remove them or contact the malicious reviewer privately. The choice is yours.
However, rational reviews are those that teach you what you need to improve. Thus, they require your attention and response.
Rational Negative Reviews: How Should I Answer Them?
It’s difficult to answer negative reviews.
If you lose your temper, you might use the wrong words and offend your customer even more. That will leave both of you upset and discourage your future customers from making purchases. After all, negative reviews go viral much faster than positive ones.
Keep that in mind!
So if you want to answer negative reviews like a pro, stick to these tips:
Calm down
Writing a response when you’re upset and angry won’t bring any positive results. When under strong negative emotions, you’re more likely to write something you’ll later regret.
So, cool down before even touching your keyboard.
Fix the problem
When responding to a review, surprise your customer.
Don’t send them only your apology, but solve their problem as well. For example, if a part of the product they purchased was damaged, offer them a new one. It will not only make your customer happier but also make them see that it’s important to you keep them satisfied.
Be grateful
Usually, it’s your unhappy customers who inform you about those types of services that don’t work well or require improvement. Thus, instead of being angry at your reviewers, tell them you’re grateful for their insightful remarks and promise to improve.
Wrapping It Up
It can be scary to receive reviews from your customers.
However, no matter the type of the review (as long as it’s legitimate), you should read it and respond to it. This way, you show you care what your customers say, build a healthy relationship with them, have a chance to improve your services and encourage more purposes.
Do you need any other reasons to respond to customer feedback?
If not, then change your strategy today and see the results. And, remember, be kind! Always.
Kindness can do miracles!
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