Customer reviews are one of the most powerful tools for any business to attract new customers and retain existing ones.
They provide social proof, credibility, and trustworthiness for your products or services, and they can influence the purchasing decisions of potential customers.
So, why do so few businesses ask for them?
We got a brilliant customer review recently, one that not only made me glow with pride but it also made me stop and think about customer reviews in more depth.
But what makes it such a good customer review, I hear you ask?
It may surprise you to know that this customer review came from one of our regular customers and the reason it was so good, is that it was written with several years worth of insight.
Allowing the writer to look at several years of a long-term business relationship, with an overall look at the services we provide them, and summarise it.
We were blown away by the comments. If you’d like to read the review, please follow the links to our Facebook reviews or our Google reviews.
How do you get more customer reviews? And why is it important to ask for them?
Now, depending on the vertical you operate in, the way you ask for a customer review may differ greatly. However, the outcomes and results will be the same.
If you work in any kind of hospitality and haven’t yet got your front-of-house staff trained to ask for reviews, you are missing a trick and should rethink your induction training, post haste.
One of the reasons that training your staff to ask customers for reviews, is that there are more of them than you. Imagine how long it would take if you had to do it yourself.
Another reason this can be a valuable source of reviews is that it could potentially lower the risk of getting negative reviews.
Managing a complaint on the premises enables you to solve any issues that may have gone unnoticed had the customer not been asked for the review.
Managing a complaint in this way can help mitigate negative reviews, as the problem is solved before it becomes a major issue.
In today’s always-on, twenty-four-hour digital society, customer reviews are more important than ever.
When potential customers are deciding whether or not to do business with you, they will turn to online reviews to get a sense of what other people have experienced.
Positive reviews can help you earn the trust of potential customers and boost your sales.
Negative reviews, on the other hand, can damage your reputation and make it difficult to attract new customers.
That’s why it’s so important to always ask for customer reviews.
When you ask for reviews, you’re not only showing that you care about what your customers have to say, but you’re also giving them a chance to help you improve your business.
Here are a few tips for getting more customer reviews:
- Make it easy for customers to leave reviews
One of the best ways to get more customer reviews is to make it as easy as possible for them to leave reviews. You can do this by adding a link to your review page on your website and in your email signature. You can also encourage customers to leave reviews by offering them discounts or rewards.
- Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative.
It’s important to respond to all customer reviews, both positive and negative. When you respond to positive reviews, you’re thanking your customers for their feedback and showing that you appreciate their business. When you respond to negative reviews, you’re showing that you’re taking their concerns seriously and that you’re committed to improving your business.
- Use customer reviews to improve your business.
Customer reviews can be a valuable source of feedback that you can use to improve your business. When you read reviews, pay attention to what customers are saying about your products or services. You can also use reviews to identify areas where you need to improve your customer service.
- Ask your regular customers.
This may seem an obvious one but as I found out myself recently, you may have some customers that you’ve been working with for many years, which you may never have asked before. Regular customers can be a valuable source of positive reviews, as in some cases, they have happily continued to use your products or services for many years.
By following these tips, I hope you can get more customer reviews and use them to improve your business.
In summary, here are some benefits of getting positive customer reviews:
- They can help you build trust and credibility with potential customers.
- They can improve your search engine ranking.
- They can help you identify areas where you need to improve your products or services.
- They can help you increase sales.
- They can help mitigate negative reviews.
If you’re not already asking for customer reviews, now is the time to start. By doing so, you can improve your business and increase your chances of success.
