Review Management 101

The Art of Increasing and Maximizing Your Positive Online Reviews

Providing Amazing Customer Service

If you want 5 star reviews, it all starts with providing 5 star service. The first step in Review Management is providing amazing customer service. Review Management is the process of increasing your positive reviews, and then capitalizing on those reviews to generate new business and traction.

When you’re a business owner, you probably have a lot to juggle at once. This could include driving sales, increasing your marketing efforts, building brand awareness, expanding your online presence or even hiring new staff members. But one goal that should outrank the others is providing amazing customer service. Your customers are your lifeblood and can turn into life-long patrons if they leave with a positive impression of your store or services. Unfortunately, customer experience can get lost in the daily shuffle and what’s worse, one negative review can have a lasting impact on an otherwise positive brand.

This Review Management 101 guide will outline several tips in going above and beyond for your customers during the selling and buying processes. It will also do a deep dive into how you should go about requesting customer feedback without seeming pushy or inauthentic, instead letting reviews come about naturally. While you can’t always control your customers, you can control how you approach serving them.

1. Have a Deep Knowledge of your Products & Brand

You can’t sell without knowing what you’re selling. Your brand is unique and your products reflect the story of your business. Make sure you know your products and services inside out and that your sales representatives understand this too. This is the best way to field off any tough questions and articulate answers in a way that leaves customers satisfied. If customers feel like you really love and believe in your products, they probably will too.

2. Be Friendly and Say Thank You

There’s nothing worse than going in a store and feeling unwelcome. You and your representatives should greet every new customer with a smile and warm welcome as they come in. This will help make them feel more comfortable and interested. If a customer isn’t ready to buy anything that day, make sure to say thank you or incentivize them to come back another time.

3. Train Your Staff

You can’t be at your business 24/7, so make sure you’ve properly trained and prepped your staff for all sorts of customer service situations. After all, your reps are a reflection of you and your business. If you want them to talk to or interact with customers in a specific way, you need to give them the right tools and training to assist efficiently and effectively.

4. Listen & Be Respectful

Never assume you know what a customer is looking for or how they feel. If a customer complains, take the time to hear them out sincerely and don’t let emotions get in the way of righting the situation. Be courteous, respectful and responsive.

5. Maintain a Positive Attitude

Sometimes, even after you’ve taken all the above steps, you’ll get a customer who is down-right rude or just having a bad day. All you can do is maintain a positive attitude and attempt to solve the problem as best as possible. If you’re attempting to solve an issue over email or chat, sometimes picking up the phone and talking one-on-one can go a long way.

6. Ask for Feedback

Perhaps the most important tip on this list, asking for feedback is the best way to identify specific areas for improvement and check in with your customers on how you did.

So, how should you go about requesting customer feedback? You don’t want to be too pushy, but many customers simply forget to leave reviews, even when they’ve had a good experience. Unfortunately, often the bad reviewers are the ones that remember. Keep reading to understand how you can increase organic, positive reviews coming to your business.

Asking for Feedback

Any business leaves themselves slightly vulnerable when asking for opinions on their products, services and the business itself. No one wants to hear they didn’t rise to the occasion. But you may be surprised to learn that feedback is a great way to incorporate new ideas and opportunities into your business, add a new product line or simply handle things differently at checkout, making your business that much better. In addition, simply asking “how did we do?” shows the customer that you truly care about them and their opinions and want to incorporate their feedback.

There are several different ways to ask for feedback. You can send out customer surveys, feedback forms and questionnaires, or simply ask customers first-hand for feedback as they checkout. The best way to receive customer feedback is to actually use it! Make sure you’re regularly reviewing your feedback and analyzing for common trends. If you’re getting multiple reviews about a specific part of the buying or ordering process, see what could be done differently. Or, if negative feedback comes about, reach out to the person as soon as possible to amend the issue and incentivize them to come back. We get more into how to handle feedback in Part 2 of our Review Management 101 Series.

Many businesses struggle with asking for feedback or remembering to at all. If your business is growing, you may be wondering how to reach out to all the new customers you’re getting. A great way to make the review process more effective is to automate it. Review Monkey manages the entire review process by closing the customer experience loop with a simple, automated “how did we do?” Review Monkey sends an immediate text or email to a customer after they’ve purchased a product or service, evaluating the customer’s experience. Customers who had a positive experience are encouraged to leave a review and are directed to an easy place to do so. Customers who had a negative experience are asked to leave real-time feedback. This gives you the opportunity to amend the customer’s bad experience as soon as possible. Overall, automating the review process increases real, positive online reviews with minimal effort on your part. Online reviews are vital to the health and success of your business and a plethora of good reviews is an amazing way to show the world you value excellent customer service.

After the sale – Engaging and Asking for Customer Feedback

It goes a long way to ask a customer, “How did it go?”. It shows you want to know, it shows you care. It’s also a big leap for some business owners who fear asking or exposing themselves to negativity. This is a new world and the customer experience does not end with the sale. Asking for feedback is an absolute must for business owners as well as Step #2 in our Review Management Series.

Customer Feedback: Keeping it Short, Simple and Seamless

For many business owners, the end sale is the ultimate goal. There’s no better feeling than when a brand new customer buys a product and in turn becomes a life-long client. Many business owners may also believe that after the sale, the work is done. But, there are several ways to optimize customer engagement and boost your brand’s visibility even after the customer has left the store, leaving them with a positive impression and enticing them to come back with and experience amazing customer service. One of these ways is by engaging and asking for feedback online. Feedback and online reviews are one of the best ways to scale your local search engine optimization ratings on search engines like Google, lend credibility to your business and mission and solidify your place at the top of your industry. And, the process of asking for feedback doesn’t need to be long or complicated. Read on for some best practices in engaging with the customer after you’ve made a sale and asking for direct feedback online.

Why should I ask for feedback?

As a business, you should always be improving and looking to explore new possibilities. Constructive feedback is the best way to understand what’s working and what isn’t and how you can continue to deliver your best in every interaction. Asking for feedback also makes the customers feel valued, important and involved. There is true vulnerability, humility and authenticity in asking for genuine feedback and your customers will feel closer to your business and your mission because of it. You are communicating that you care about how the customer feels and that they are playing a direct role in helping your business get better.

The key to asking for feedback, however, is to actually use it. There’s no value in generating reviews if you don’t implement the feedback for the next sale or customer experience. Be consistent in reviewing your feedback and take each review seriously, showing your customers you’re listening and working for them. Even negative reviews will help your business change, grow and improve.

Other benefits in asking for feedback

Customers are inundated with products, services and advertisements for them almost every second of every day. So, how do you break through the noise? You guessed it: asking for feedback! When a customer leaves a review, you are making an impression that will allow them to remember you for the next time around. Staying top of mind is crucial for businesses trying to make a name for themselves. In addition, if a customer can easily recall a positive experience they went out of their way to leave a review for, they’re more than likely to recommend it to someone else as well. Word-of-mouth marketing still trumps most forms of digital advertising and content marketing. New customers that see other happy online reviews will feel more confident in using your business and buying your products.

When should I ask for feedback?

In short, you should ask your customer for feedback as soon as possible. Getting a customer to leave a positive review while the sale is still hot and the customer is still happy is crucial. The longer you take to ask for feedback, the stronger the possibility they’ll forget about the positive interaction entirely, or worse, forget to visit your store the next time around or share their experience with others. Closing the engagement gap quickly will help let the customer know you truly valued the experience as much as they did and that you care to hear their thoughts.

How should I ask for feedback?

On the customer’s side, the review process should be quick, automatic and as painless as possible. No one likes filling out long online forms or being forced to hit multiple character or word counts. As a business, you’d want to avoid being too pushy as well. Feedback is great, but asking for too much and asking too many times may turn the customer off from coming back or worse, lead them to write a negative review. Always opt for the simpler route, which is asking for a line or two of feedback and gently pushing once if you don’t hear back from the customer the first time around. Luckily, there’s a way to automate this process so the entire review and feedback cycle is taken out of your hands. You’ll be free to focus on daily business operations while still earning that crucial feedback as seamlessly as possible.

Using Review Monkey

If you want more reviews but don’t know how to go about actively encouraging them from your customers, you can definitely benefit from a simple, effective and automated review feedback process. That’s where Review Monkey comes in. Review Monkey’s advanced software helps you generate more positive reviews while getting ahead of the negative ones before they’re posted. Review Monkey implements a review funnel for every completed service by sending an automated request for feedback. If the customer reports a great experience, Review Monkey asks for feedback and sends a gentle reminder text or email if needed. If a customer had an issue with the service, Review Monkey politely asks them to share their experience, allowing you to amend the issue before the customer leaves a formal review. Review Monkey also holds and tracks a database of your previous reviewers, so you can continue to optimize your visibility.

You’ve established the how, when and why in your review process, so let Review Monkey automate it with the right tools. This will help you close the customer feedback process loop and increase your positive reviews without having to lift a finger. Try Review Monkey for Free

Handling Feedback: Embrace the Positive, Address the Negative

Most business owners will tell you the cornerstone of a successful business is a happy customer. Sure, financial health and long-term goal achievement are just as important, but your product, service or overall business won’t make it very far if customer service isn’t always at the top of mind. Satisfied clients in turn create loyal customers who will come back again and again. According to a 2020 Ameritas study, a loyal customer, on average, is 10 times more valuable than their first purchase. In addition, about 97% of customers will tell others about very good or excellent customer service experiences, and approximately 24% of satisfied customers will return to a business two or more years after a good customer service experience. The numbers here speak for themselves. The value of turning a new buyer into a repeat one far outweighs the value of a customer buying one single product and never returning.

We got into the topic of providing amazing customer service. Next up was asking for customer feedback. Now we are going to get into how you should go about receiving feedback when it does come back, with a specific focus on how to optimize this feedback for the greatest ROI. If you’re a business owner, you most likely know that a constant feedback loop is incredibly crucial. But did you know that receiving negative feedback is just as important, if not more important, than receiving positive feedback? Receiving negative feedback is a great opportunity to take a critical look at all of your business processes and see where you could be doing things faster, better and stronger. So, how should you receive both positive and negative feedback and use it to your advantage?

Embrace the Positive

1. Say Thank You
Believe it or not, many customers only voice feedback when they’re dissatisfied. Positive feedback is a sparkling gem in your business crown and should be treated as such. After you receive positive feedback, always give a heartfelt thank you. Express your gratitude that they decided to shop at your business and give you direct feedback on a job well done.

2. Personalize your message as much as possible
Generic responses are fine as you build your overall feedback strategy, but aim to give each response a personal touch. Address the person by name if possible and even reference specifics if you personally remember the interaction. It’ll entice the customer to come back if they feel personally valued and not just seen as another transaction

3. Ask for a formal online review
Ask your happy customer to go the extra step and leave a positive online review. This can really help boost your overall online business rating and entice others to try out your services too.

Address the Negative

1. Apologize and say thank you
No one likes receiving negative feedback and most people hate apologizing when they think they’ve done nothing wrong even more. Unfortunately, when responding to negative feedback, the best course of action is to be humble and polite. Apologize for what you and your business has control over first and thank the unhappy customer for choosing your business and their honest feedback.

2. Be polite
You may be tempted to point fingers and even name call the person who left negative feedback. But remember, what’s said online is open to everyone and unfortunately permanent. One hot-headed moment could live on the internet forever, or worse, go viral. Don’t engage in an argument with a customer or blame them for their experience. Most customers who have bad experiences just want to feel like they’re being heard. Seek to come from a place of understanding and keep your language appropriate.

3. Provide contact information
You can respond to negative feedback initially, but don’t go back and forth with the person on a public site or in your physical store for all to see. Give them your personal or business information and ask them to get in touch with you. Also ask them to provide more details on the unhappy experience. Lastly, collect your own information. Ask your staff members if they remember the unhappy customer and try to get to the root of the problem.

4. Right the wrong if and as soon as possible
Time is of the essence with addressing negative feedback. You have the opportunity to turn their experience into a positive one, but only if you act fast and with a sense of urgency. The faster you act, the more likely the person is to change their view to a favorable one and appreciate your dedication to customer service.

5. Keep it short
There’s no need to make a response to either positive or negative feedback long and complicated. Keep it to the point and clear. When addressing negative feedback, don’t say more than what is absolutely needed.

And, as always, be as proactive as possible. The shorter the amount of time you take to address and implement constructive feedback, the more valued the customer will feel. Follow up where you can and stay true to your customer commitments. As with all feedback, don’t take it personal. See it as an opportunity to grow, improve and shake things up to keep it fresh.

Asking for the Review. Do it Fast & Make it Easy.

Everyone loves positive feedback. From getting a shining performance review at work, a “well done” response on a great paper or assignment or even just a simple “thank you” can really make our day. Positive feedback reinforces that your ideas are appreciated, your services and products work well and that your brand is well-received by your customers. If you run a business, you know the value of positive feedback is what keeps you in business and generates new customers. But, asking for and receiving positive feedback isn’t always as easy as it seems. You may have a customer leave with a smile on their face, but that’s no guarantee they’ll leave a positive review. Here’s why positive feedback and online reviews are so important.

According to Invespro.com, nearly 9 in 10 consumers treat an online review the same way they do a personal recommendation. In addition, customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with “excellent” reviews and 72% say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more, prompting them to take action. It’s no secret that seeing a business with at least four stars on Google, for example, will lend better to enticing new customers than one with a two star. In addition, with search engine optimization, more reviews will rank your business higher in the search algorithm. This gives you more exposure and credibility in your industry.

Everyone would love to have more positive reviews from customers, but it takes a little thought and planning on your end. In addition, automating the customer review process can really take your feedback strategy to the next level, streamlining your operations, generating more reviews and leaving you to focus on day-to-day business responsibilities. So, when should you ask for a formal review after getting positive feedback?

The short answer is as soon as possible. Asking a customer to leave a review when they’re hot, happy and your business is at top of mind is key. Customers are busy. Even if they remember the interaction they had with you or your services fondly, they may simply forget to leave a formal review or may think it isn’t necessary. Getting a customer to leave a positive review as soon as they step out of the door is key, as this is when they remember the interaction with as much detail as possible, including what they bought, who helped them and how they felt about the service. This is when they’re at their happiest because they either just bought a great new product or are extremely satisfied with their service.

So how can you get a customer to leave a positive review? Follow these few steps and you’ll be on your way:

1. Direct customers to the right spot with ease – don’t make it a hunt
No one likes clicking through multiple form pages or filling out endless text boxes with required character counts. Again, customers are busy. You need to make the process of leaving a review as easy and findable as possible. When you ask for an online review, direct a customer directly to the spot for leaving feedback. Don’t first redirect to your website or make them create an account with a third party review system. The less time it takes a customer to leave a review and the easier it is for them to find the place to do it, the more likely they are to give formal, positive feedback.

2. Make the process repeatable
Every customer should be taken to the exact same review process, again and again. You should have one standard review platform database that feeds in all your feedback, saves it and tracks who has and hasn’t left a review. Pointing customers to different review platforms or merely asking for verbal feedback may confuse new customers or incorrectly capture their feedback.

3. Automate the process – and use it
A great way to take your review strategy to the next level is by completely automating and streamlining the process. Using one, simple platform to send out review reminders, track reviews and painlessly collect feedback will make your life easier and make your customers even happier. One way to do this is by using Review Monkey, a browser based app that helps businesses and professionals increase their REAL positive online reviews. Review Monkey helps by “closing the customer feedback loop” after the sale has been made. Review Monkey works by creating a review funnel for your business after you sell a product or complete a service, asking the customer about their experience. Review Monkey automatically asks the customer to leave a review and gently follows up via text or email if they need reminding. If the customer had an issue with their experience, the Review Monkey software asks the customer to explain what went wrong, allowing you to fix the situation before they leave a formal review. In addition, the Review Monkey software tracks who has already left a review and who has opted out of receiving messages, allowing you to reach new audiences instead of targeting older customers.

Review Monkey helps by creating an overall positive impression of your business by increasing the amount of real, genuinely-happy reviews left for your products or services online. Review Monkey also helps you get ahead of the negative reviews before they’re published, allowing you to amend the situation before it impacts new business. Using a software like Review Monkey will make the process seamless and automatic, allowing you to get more reviews with little work or interruption to business processes on your end.

Respond to all Reviews

Responding to Reviews isn’t Recommended, it’s a Requirement. While it might be daunting, responding to Positive AND Negative reviews is a MUST. We’ve asked for the review, now we must respond.

A bad online business review can be tough to handle. These type of critical reactions may seem like personal attacks on not only your business, but also on your character. Whenever you provide a customer with a good or service, you are opening yourself up to feedback and you should see every review as a chance to learn and get better. If you’re a new business owner or simply would like to increase the amount of reviews you’re getting, you should start with two foundational reviewing strategies. These include having oversight on every negative review AND responding to every review, negative or positive.

How to respond to reviews: what should you say?

Responding to every customer review may sound daunting at first. But responding to a review is a simple and effective way to boost your online reputation and strengthen your marketing efforts with little effort. A 2018 Harvard Business Review article found that replying to every review generally resulted in better ratings for businesses. This strategy is extremely underutilized but can make all the difference, especially when you’re just starting to build a customer base. Responding to reviews should be a requirement for every business, but don’t see it as just another thing to check off your list. Use it as an opportunity to truly connect with your customers and show them you care, or even incentivize future purchases.

Responding to negative views is also crucial. This can help solidify your online reputation and boost your overall engagement. If a bad review goes ignored, your customers may read it and assume it’s true. They may also think you don’t care that a customer had a bad experience, which reflects poorly on your character and your businesses’ values. You may also miss out on a chance to correct the bad experience, which could have resulted in the customer taking the review down.

Responding to positive reviews

Respond to positive reviews as soon as possible – If you write a response sooner rather than later, your reply will seem more genuine and attentive. Your customers will get the impression you truly care about feedback and want to visit again. Start by thanking the customer for their kind words and taking the time to review your business. Use their name directly and be concise.

Responding to negative reviews

Like positive reviews, responding to negative reviews as soon as possible is crucial. You may be upset or believe that the customer is in the wrong, but it’s important not to lose your cool. Be prepared to write a short, non-confrontational reply. Here’s a couple of steps you can take:

• Reassure them that their feedback, however harsh, is valued.
• Remind the customer that you thoroughly understand their issue by using specific key words from their review.
• Leave them with your best contact details and a call to action that indicates you’d like to help resolve their issue and discuss things further.
• Avoid signing off with your business name, as this is more likely to show up in search engine results

How to respond to reviews on Google, Facebook & TrustPilot

Google

Google is the world’s most popular search engine and with millions of people checking and reviewing listings each day, your Google My Business rating is critical. In addition, positive reviews can greatly improve your Google SEO ranking, or how you map in search. Here’s how to respond to reviews using Google:

• Sign in to your Google My Business by going to business.google.com.
• Click the three horizontal bars in the top left-hand corner to find your business listing.
• Click “Manage Reviews.” Scroll to find the review you’d like to reply with and click “view and reply.” You can then type out a response.

The customer may reply back to your review, so be prepared for a follow-up. If you’d like to receive a notification any time a new review is posted through Google My Business, you can set this up through the platform.

Facebook

Facebook has transformed from a social networking site into a full-fledged marketing and advertising tool for businesses. Facebook Business Suite now offers a whole host of business manager tools that can take your customer engagement to the next level. If you receive a negative comment, luckily you can hide or delete it. But, you can’t remove negative reviews completely. You can manage your businesses’ Facebook page on Facebook Business Manager.

1. Make sure your Facebook Business Page is set up and that the review feature is toggled to “on.”
2. Once reviews start coming in, you’ll be able to reply to them by clicking “reviews” on the left-hand side of your timeline.
3. Below a review, hit reply and type out a response. Be aware that depending on the reviewers privacy settings, you may not actually be able to directly reply to them.

TrustPilot

While Facebook and Google are two of the most popular review sites, TrustPilot is also a sight you should monitor reviews on.

1. First navigate to the TrustPilot Business feature and go to the reviews tab on the left-hand side. You can either reply to a service review or product review.
2. You’ll find all your customer reviews under “Inbox.” Navigate to the review you’d like to respond to and hit “Reply.”
3. Type your reply in the drop down box. Be kind, concise and direct, thanking positive reviewers for their time and ensuring negative reviewers you are taking their concerns seriously.

Are you doing all you can to engage your customers and encouraging them to leave behind positive reviews? Are you replying to negative reviews and asking for more feedback? Review Monkey can help streamline the Review Management process, showing customers you care with a simple, automated “How did we do” text or email.

Marketing Positive Reviews

It’s no doubt that positive customer reviews are a great way to boost your businesses’ credibility, visibility and overall brand status in your industry. If someone Googles your business and sees a multitude of positive reviews left by satisfied customers just like them, they’re more inclined to patron it. According to a 2014 study conducted by Brightlocal, 88% of customers read reviews to determine the quality of a local business and 72% of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more. As you can see, online reputation and review management are king in the world of digital branding. If marketed correctly, positive reviews can really put your business on the map, boost your SEO ratings and help target potential customers online.

So, how can you market your positive reviews and use them to your advantage? Here’s 6 great ways to start.

1. Display your reviews on your website with a widget or embedding.
Your positive reviews are something to be proud of, so they should be prominently displayed upfront and boldly on your website. Customers are likely to trust reviews more that have a name and perhaps a photo attached and that are spelled correctly and grammatically articulate. You can display reviews using a site widget or embed them with code. Do it on your homepage so it’s the first thing a new customer sees.

If you have a lot of reviews, you can even dedicate an entire page just to your customer testimonials. Reviews on your website will lend credibility to your site as a whole, but also answer your customer’s questions about your products and your brand.

2. Create social posts out of positive reviews and post them regularly.
Whether your business is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or a combination of a few, these social media platforms are where repeat customers and potentially new buyers engage. On your social media platforms, satisfied customers may leave reviews on specific products or services directly. Aggregate your best ones and turn these into social posts to share on your platform.

For an added boost, you can even turn your reviews into an engaging video. Recent data shows that digital videos and video testimonials are a great way to garner engagement on social media. Luckily, with widespread advancements in video technology, there are great online tools to edit and design your own customer review video yourself.

3. Share reviews in promotional emails
If you already have an email database of customers who have bought from you before, include positive reviews in your promotional emails. Because the average person receives almost 100 emails per day, it’s important to make yours stand out. A rave review from a verified customer may entice them to click on the email itself and check out your new promo or discount.

4. Respond to all reviews as quickly as possible
As we’ve discussed in previous steps in our Review Management 101 series, responding to all online reviews, whether positive or negative, is crucial for your online reputation management. This shows you care about your customers, their patronage, and what they have to say. Responding to reviews quickly also helps you get ahead of any bad customer experience before it escalates, showing an unhappy customer you are willing to go the extra mile to rectify their complaint. And, responding to your positive reviews will also lend to your reputation as a brand that is truly grateful to their customers.

5. Make it easy for customers to review
No one likes to fill out long and confusing forms, especially a happy customer looking to leave a positive review. In turn, their positive experience may become a negative one if too much information is asked of them or they feel they need to jump through hoops. Make the review process as easy and quick as possible so that you receive more reviews and attract new ratings. You can also attach a quick “how did we do?” survey to your website after a customer completes a purchase or uses your customer service line.

One great way to receive more genuine reviews and make the review process seamless and easy is to automate it. Review Monkey, a browser based app, helps businesses and professionals increase their REAL positive online reviews by “closing the customer feedback loop” after the sale has been made. Review Monkey creates a review funnel for your business after you sell a product or complete a service, automatically asking the customer to leave a review and gently following up via text or email if they need reminding. If the customer had an issue with their experience, Review Monkey asks the customer to explain what went wrong before leaving an online review, allowing you to fix the problem. Review Monkey software also tracks who has already left a review and who has opted out of receiving messages, allowing you to reach new audiences.

6. Good old word-of-mouth marketing
Sometimes, the best way to promote and market your positive reviews is to talk about them with others! Tell satisfied customers to tell their friends about their happy experience or even put flyers up around town. If a customer comes in with a request or problem to one you’ve previously experienced with another customer, relay the story with credibility and authenticity, describing what you did for them and how it could help in this scenario.

A core principle of online reputation management (link to home page) is that customers won’t always believe your business, products or services are the best in the world if they hear it from you. But, they may be more persuaded if they hear it from someone else. If you’re looking to boost your online reputation management strategy, starting with review management is a great way to support your growing brand. Automating this process will help make getting reviews seamless and easy, allowing you to focus on day-to-day operations and building the best business possible.

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