Replying To Positive Reviews
While it isn’t important to respond to EVERY review that your company receives, there are a few ways that you can respond to positive reviews:
- Thank the customer and let them know you appreciate their business.
- Use it as an opportunity to promote any new specials, such as discounts or loyalty cards.
- Use keywords to help your reviews show up in Google searches, such as “We’re glad you enjoyed your time here at John’s Bagel Joint!”
- Share the positive review on your website
Replying To Neutral Reviews
Neutral reviews aren’t easy to respond to, as they would be positive if the person had just given you that last star.
- Thank the customer for their review and ask them for feedback. Let them know that you are willing to improve and that you appreciate any feedback they have to offer.
- Use the same characteristics you used in your positive review.
- Explain or apologize for any negative feedback. “We love dogs, though we, unfortunately, cannot allow them in our establishment due to health codes!”
Replying To Negative Reviews
When you work day and night to make your business the best it can be, receiving a negative or critical review can be tough. It may even make you angry that someone criticized the hard work you do.
However, even if a negative review boils your blood, you need to be able to respond the customer in a civil way. Did you know that 75% of consumers will come back to your business if you can mend the problem?
Plus, future customers will see that you responded in a helpful manner and that you care enough to fix any problems.
- Take a deep breath. The last thing you want to do is respond angrily, as you may say something you don’t mean. However, you don’t want to wait too long to reply either. Customers typically want a response within a few days.
- Keep in mind that your goal is to win the customer back and show future customers how much you care.
- Even if it wasn’t your fault, apologize. “Sorry, we must have been busy that day! Apologies for your bad experience!”
- Show that the reviewer’s experience was out of the ordinary. “People constantly compliment our wait staff on their kindness and efficiency.”
- Remove the review if is very bad. Know that there are unhappy customers out there who will never return no matter what you do. You should instead focus your energy on customers who enjoy your business already.
Final Thoughts
Of course, you should always make sure to head the rules of the particular review platform before replying. Google’s policies are different from Yelp’s, for example. So there you have it, those are steps to take on how to respond to reviews of your business.
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