Positive reviews and feedback scores can be vital to the wellbeing of a fledgling business. Negativity will clip your feathers, but positive responses could give your business wings.
The savvy consumer will always check what past customers have been saying about a business or its products, and their opinion is easily swayed. Here are six pointers on how to ensure that your business gets glowing reviews and that your business reputation stays sparkling.
Know where the feedback is coming from
There are plenty of websites where anyone can post reviews about a business- you’ll want to do a quick Google search of your business name to make sure you are up to date with what is being said on various feedback websites.
If you’re using a platform like website ServiceSeeking.com.au to get job leads, check whether or not your listing includes a feedback score or a place to leave reviews. The more times you quote, the more likely you’ll get feedback- even if you don’t score the job in the end, good interaction is all-essential. Some people respond positively to follow-up calls and a friendly voice, and others will respond negatively to impoliteness and ‘cut and paste’ communication.
Even social media is important to consider. Facebook pages usually generate a great deal of feedback, and it’s absolutely necessary that you keep an eye on what is being said. A single Facebook post can have incredible reach if it is shared, and the comments might be visible to all.
Put yourself in their shoes
Sue Taylor, founder and owner of Global Sanctuary Photography, recently came number one on the list of Top 100 Australian Businesses by ServiceSeeking.com.au. According to her, great service providers are those that go the extra mile and really think about how the customer feels. She recommends asking yourself the following three questions:
- How would you like to be spoken to?
- How quickly would you like an email or a voicemail message to be answered by?
- What kind of quality would you expect for the money being paid?
Keep It Simple, Stupid!
The KISS principle will trump sophisticated and complicated terms and conditions, business dealings and communication. Confused customers could get the wrong idea about what you’re promising and how much your services cost.
Be punctual
You never want to leave your customer or client checking their watch, wondering where you are. Even if you have the smallest of suspicions that you might be late, text, email, or call ahead to say so. They’ll appreciate the small courtesy.
Remind your customers
Always remember that your customers are busy people. Happy customers are usually glad to leave a review- but sometimes they just can’t help but forget to! Remind them as you seal the deal and finish providing your services, and make sure they know where you would like them to leave the feedback. If they don’t respond for a few days, then send a polite email to remind them again.
Respond to negative reviews
It goes without saying that you should never lose your temper with negative review. Always follow up and appeal any bad reviews you receive. Try to get in contact with the person who left the review and ask them exactly what they found wanting- even if you can’t get the review removed, you could get valuable feedback on what to improve on. As time goes on, you should be learning from your mistakes and getting fewer and fewer negative reviews.
