You already know it’s critical to respond to customer reviews. If you need a little reminder, consider the following:
- Seven out of ten consumers changed their opinion about a retailer after they responded to a review.
- Businesses that reply to just one customer review earn 4% more revenue on average.
- On average, when a business replies to at least 25% of their online customer reviews, they earn 35% more revenue.
You may already be good at responding to reviews, but do you effectively respond to negative and positive reviews in a way that helps you achieve results?
It’s a great question and one this post will answer. In an effort to help you improve your responses, here are examples of effective responses to customer reviews.
1. The “Praise” Review
This is the customer everyone wants. They give you 5-stars all around and can’t recommend you enough.
Even though they are singing your praises, you still need to respond. Scratch that. You GET to respond.
Here is an example of a 5-star review from a customer at Orem Dream Dinners, and a killer response from the owner.
Here’s what’s good about this review:
- It is short and sweet
- The owner says, “thank you”
- It’s personal and even mentions the reviewer’s wife’s name
- In essence, the review invites the customer back for future visits
This owner sometimes includes pictures of customers having fun preparing their dinners in the review responses. A+
2. The “Angry” Review
If this customer has a bad experience, they have no problems letting you and the whole world know about it.
These customers are volatile and important. If you can turn that frown upside down, you may even get them to update their review and turn them into a life-long customer. You’ve probably even experienced that loyal customers, even when they get angry, will come back to your brand if they feel heard.
Here’s an example of a great response to an angry review from Starbucks.
Here’s what’s good about this review:
- The response is timely
- The responder says thank you for the review
- There is an apology
- They let the person know they have been heard and that Starbucks will look into the problem
- It offers instructions on how to get further service
- It’s personally signed by the responder, Rachael
3. The “Oops-Wrong-Company” Review
Have you ever received a negative review for a company that sounds like yours, but isn’t?
If you run into this problem, don’t worry. Most online review platforms have a built-in flagging system. The best thing to do is to flag the review, so the platform can look into the problem.
In the meantime, feel free to respond to clear up the confusion. All you have to do is let the reviewer know they have the wrong company and ask if they will remove the review.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can offer your number or refer them to the right business.
4. The “They-Can’t-Do-Anything-Right” Review
This customer has a long list of grievances and may even fit the profile of a serial complainer. These reviews are hard to tackle, but it’s important to respond.
Keeva Indian Kitchen has over 557 Yelp reviews, most of which are positive. However, they do have a few instances of needing to respond to heavy complaints. Here’s a good example.
Here’s what’s good about this review response:
- The review comes from the business owner
- The owner apologies
- The owner acknowledges the problem and offers an explanation
- The response offers another apology
- They ask for forgiveness and another change
- The review is warm and positive
Quick note: If the reviewer is flying off the handle or being unreasonable, it may be appropriate to flag these reviews as well. Sometimes it’s worth having the review platform look into the review for further review.
5. The “Short-But-Not-Sweet” Review
Sometimes reviewers may have a bad experience, but don’t have a lot to say about it, unlike the serial complainers.
Thankfully, they aren’t going on and on. But, just because their review is short doesn’t mean it should go unanswered.
Here’s a great example of a response to a short negative review from Smashburger.
Here’s what’s good about this review response:
- Even though the review is short, the response is thoughtful
- They use the reviewer’s name
- There is an apology
- It gives the next steps to find a resolution
- They thank the reviewer
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