Managing clients’ comments on social media is the subject of a new report published by customer experience firm GatherUp.
It says that no matter what customers share on platforms such as Facebook or Google reviews etc – good, bad, or indifferent – a response is always recommended. The report states that if you consistently reply to all reviews, even the not-so-good ones, you can drive long-term business success.
Authors of the report, How to Reply to Reviews, say customers want to be seen and heard, and they expect a fast response when details of a problem are published.
“By giving timely replies to reviews, you show your customers that you’re committed to great service, meeting their needs, and resolving their problems,” write the reports’ authors.
“You don’t have any control over what gets posted on review sites, but you can control what you say in return. Replying to reviews is an important opportunity to clarify a situation, provide additional context and information, and offer support.”
The report also states that replying to reviews establishes a two-way connection with your customers.
“It makes your brand human to them and to everyone else who might be reading the reviews. It’s these types of human, emotional connections that ultimately drive brand loyalty.”
One of Google’s main factors for local search rankings – prominence – is measured using customer reviews.
“When you reply to reviews, you end up getting more reviews, which means you can impact those signals and increase the visibility, or prominence, of your business in local search,” write the report’s authors.
“All of these benefits eventually lead to more conversions. How? Because a customer that feels seen and heard by you keeps buying. Other customers who see your interactions with customers through reviews start leaving their own reviews. More reviews improve your local search ranking. And a better search ranking earns you more new customers.”
Download the full report here.