How to respond to good, the bad, & the ugly reviews | Part 1 — the good.
When a whopping 85 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, businesses need to do their part to make the most of it. Why? Because customers, who take their time to interact with you, are the building blocks of a customer-centric company. You made an impact, the customer felt it, and they chose to write about it — for better or worse — on Facebook, Yelp, PlayStore, or any review aggregator website. Whether positive or negative, all reviews give you a chance to grow and show you care about your customers.
Not all reviewers write. Many of them do nothing more than just click an appropriate star rating, leaving you with zero details explaining why they chose that rating. Are they even your customers? It’s hard to say. However, there is a segment of reviewers that do leave written feedback. This is what I will be talking about extensively from here on out.
Good or bad, those reviews deserve a response, but why? In this three-part series, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of writing responses to reviews, beginning on a positive note; the Good.
Positive reviews.
In the middle of a Tuesday afternoon, nothing feels better than reading a glowing five-star rating review from a customer, who goes on enthusiastically about how they enjoyed your product/service. This is what every business should strive for; happy customers who feel compelled to express it through feedback.
Positive reviews are a token of appreciation that are worth reading out aloud in your office, to reward your fellow employees with a sense of satisfaction. Additionally, this happiness should also be shared with the customer who reviewed it, so go ahead and write them a thoughtful response too.
Why respond to positive reviews?
- To let them know you appreciate it. They are customers who loved your product/service, meaning repeat business is just one happy reply away.
- To seem polite. Someone took time to talk about their experience with your product/service, so it’s courteous to leave a reply, thanking them for his or her kind words.
- To ride free publicity. Everyone’s looking at that positive review someone wrote, including your potential customers. By responding you not only thank them but also do a bit of marketing for your product/service, paving way for new business.
- To improve the brand persona. If you want to stay in business for a long time, you need to create an identity for yourself, which in turn creates lifetime fans. When you actively engage with your customers online, you generate buzz that creates a friendly, approachable persona for your brand.
How to write the response?
Step 1: Say the magic words, “Thank you!”
Simple as that! Try to include them within the first 10 words of your response so that your gratitude does not get lost in the details. Is the review heavy on compliments? Thank them for their appreciation. Is the review long, well written, and coherent? Thank them for taking their time to write it.
“Hey, Ben! Thank you so much for your kind words.”
Step 2: Reinforce the positive!
What’s the one highlight compliment of the review? Take it out and rephrase it to convey how the company feels about it. When you reinforce the positive words of that review, it shows the reviewer that you have indeed read through their feedback. And this way, potential customers know the takeaway point of that review too.
“It’s a delight to know that we are the cosiest coffee shop in the city!”
Step 3: Tell them how you feel.
Giving your responses an emotional touch is critical because it humanizes the company and reminds readers that your employees are people just like them. Tell them how their review made you feel, showing passion and commitment to what you do as a company. This helps build your brand persona. .
“We at X, are thrilled to have made your day!”
Step 4: Add a bit of marketing.
When a customer had a positive experience with your company, they are very likely to do business with you again. So, market something else that you offer that would appeal to their taste based on their purchase history. Or you could promote an upcoming launch, event, or offer period.
“If you liked this, you’re sure gonna like X! Be sure to try it next time!”
Step 5: Invite them to come again!
Don’t just stop at leaving a door mat that says, “Please come again”! Cultivate the habit of saying it as a customer leaves, when a customer hangs up, and in this case, when finishing up your reply. Let them know that you value their business and that you look forward to seeing them again.
“We hope to serve you coffee again! Stop by anytime, any day.”
What to avoid?
➤ If a customer specifically praises an employee or a team, do not ignore it. This can seriously hurt their morale and make customers wonder whether you care about your employees. Bring it up in your review and tell them that the employee they mentioned was floored when they heard the praise.
➤ Your response should have very little marketing in it. If they find your pandering to be an overkill, you may come off as insincere. Note that reviews and responses are not a marketing channel; it’s a medium for customer engagement with subtle and unobtrusive marketing.
➤ Avoid boasting about your company outside the context of the compliments that the customer left.. Try to keep your response centered around what that reviewer had to say about your company.
For a segment of customers, you are what your positive reviews make you out to be. Positive reviews give you the opportunity to build your brand reputation online. You can create new business opportunities by fostering a healthy review-response section for your product and services.
In the next part of this series, I’m going to talk about how to handle negative reviews; the Bad. Be sure to check it out!
So, how do you respond to positive reviews? Let us know in the comments below!
(Part 2: The Bad; Part 3: The Ugly)
Written by Akilan S,
Product Marketer at Zoho Corp.
Akilan is a passionate blogger, a tech enthusiast, a small business advocate, an avid gamer and a time traveler. He’s game for a cup of coffee 24x7.
