By responding to reviews online, your field service business can establish a robust presence on Google and other major search engines. Responding to reviews online is essential in securing new customers for your home service business.
Remember, most leads will check your reviews as they do their preliminary research on your field service business.
Bad reviews are inevitable, and you can’t please all clients. However, the way you respond to these reviews is critical.
This article will unpack:
- Insight as to why responding to reviews matters
- Top ways to elicit positive reviews from customers
- Leading expert strategies in responding to reviews
Why Responding to Reviews Matters
Did you know customers are willing to spend 31% more on a company with excellent reviews. Also, 93% of customers say that online reviews influence their decisions.
With statistics like these, online reviews are an essential part of your business that cannot be overlooked.
They’re looking to see if your company has reviews, how many you have, how highly you’re rated, and any negative feedback.
When it comes to responding to reviews online, all of these factors are at play:
- Company rating
- Number of reviews
- Company responses to positive and negative reviews alike
If you’re not responding to reviews, you may lose business by driving away potential customers. If you’re planning to get ahead of the competition, then responding to reviews is an excellent opportunity.
So, let’s talk about how your company can respond to positive and negative online reviews…
- A good review = 4-5 stars
- A neutral review = 3 stars
- A negative review = 1-2 stars
How to Respond to Negative Reviews
Every business works to provide a good service for its customers. However, when someone leaves a bad review, it can cause frustration and offense.
While you can’t please everyone, a negative review doesn’t necessarily mean your services are bad.
How you respond to a negative review is what matters, and it can redeem your company in the eyes of the customer who didn’t have the goal experience.
In fact, 45% of customers are likely to visit a business that responds to bad reviews. Of those customers who leave negative reviews, 43% would change their review if satisfied with a company’s response.
Here’s how to respond to a negative review:
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- Thank the customer for leaving a review and buying the service.
- Acknowledge the customer’s concern or issue, and apologize for their unsatisfactory experience.
- Express your enthusiasm to alleviate the situation and make it right.
- This last step is the most important: Provide the necessary information so the customer can contact you directly to discuss their experience. Remember, you want to draw the conversation offline as soon as possible!
In your response, avoid taking the negative review personally. Since your response is public, your tone can damage your business’ reputation and push away potential customers.
To take it a step further, it might be beneficial to throw in an incentive in your private conversation with them. Provide your unhappy customers with priority scheduling or a discount on their next service. Although, you’ll want to avoid making these incentives public.
Since 68% of customers expect a response within three days, it’s best to respond sooner rather than later. Aim for a few hours to a day at most.
How to Respond to Positive Reviews
You might be wondering if there’s a point in responding to positive reviews. After all, the customer is satisfied with your services, so why bother?
However, by not responding to positive reviews, it can look off-putting.
Remember, customers love to be appreciated and acknowledged.
When responding to positive reviews, personalization comes into play. Personalization shows that your field service business cares about your customers’ personal experience.
For example, take a look at a quick, three-step process on how you can personalize your business’ responses to reviews:
- Address the reviewer by their name
- Thank the customer for purchasing your services
- Highlight the details from the review
Positive reviews are a great way to market your business. While responding to reviews, you can highlight an upcoming promotion, offer another service or product to complement their previous purchase or ask for referrals.
Also, it’s important to respond to positive reviews in a timely manner. A quick response reflects well on your company and makes the customer more likely to remember your company and recommend your services to others.
It’s best to respond to positive reviews in 24 hours or less. This shows that you care and appreciate the customer.
How to Respond to Neutral Reviews
Sometimes, you’ll get a review that contains both praise and criticism. It can be tough to decide what to do with these. However, there are a few great strategies in responding to neutral reviews.
To effectively respond to a neutral review, you’ll need to address the good and bad.
- Thank the customer for buying your services and for leaving feedback.
- Highlight the positive elements from their review.
- Acknowledge and apologize for the negative aspects of their experience.
- Provide your business contact information to encourage the customer to further discuss their experience in a private conversation.
Respond to neutral reviews in 24-48 hours. Obviously, the quicker the better.
How to Ask Customers To Leave a Review
It’s best to make it a habit to ask for reviews. Although it may be uncomfortable at first, asking for reviews shows that you appreciate their feedback. Plus, this insightful feedback demonstrates what is and isn’t working. In fact, 76% of people will leave a review when asked.
To make this easier on your company, create an email or SMS text template to send to customers once their service is completed. Keep these tips in mind when creating your template:
- Keep your email or text short (three sentences max).
- Always thank the customer, encourage honest feedback, and let them know their review matters.
- Provide links to where they can leave a review.
Most importantly, don’t ask all customers to leave a review! In order to maintain higher reviews, only ask customers for reviews after they’ve:
- Provided a verbal or written compliment
- Expressed high satisfaction with your services
Don’t ask for reviews after a customer has:
- Provided a verbal or written complaint
- Express dissatisfaction with your services
Plus, as a general rule of thumb, don’t ask for reviews after you’ve invoiced or billed their card.
By quickly responding to reviews, your field service business can demonstrate appreciation for your customers and acknowledge any of their concerns or issues.
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Start Responding to Reviews Like a Pro
Positive and negative reviews have the power to make or break your business. Now, you know how to respond to reviews and win positive ones!
Regardless of what kind of reviews your field service business receives, your responses can help attract new conversions, bring an unhappy customer back to your business, and gain an advantage over the competition.
Related: How to Get Reviews for Your Home Service Business
