Customers are the very reason a business exists. What a customer thinks about a service or product and how they review it is precious. 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020 – up from 81% in 2019 (Brightlocal)

You can’t please everyone all the time, and bad reviews are going to happen. Customers are looking at how you respond to your reviews, the good and the bad. We will unpack a few ways to handle reviews and how technology can help.

Reach out to the customer directly

A phone call can help clear up any misunderstandings, sometimes quicker than a written response. After the call, your customer may decide to remove their comments altogether or update their post to let people know the issue was resolved. If you are unable to phone your customer, be sure to reply as soon as possible. If a review is left and you fail to respond until months later, this can send the message that you don’t care.

Empathize and apologize

Even if you are not wrong, it is still appropriate to apologize for confusion and less than stellar experience. Do not argue with the customer. Try to see the situation from their side. Keep your responses short, professional, and with a tone of empathy. Customers want to know how you address and solve issues. Respect is the key.

Don’t fail to respond to the positive reviews

A simple “thank you for your kind words” lets your customer know that you value what they think. When you’re regularly collecting and responding to customers’ feedback, it shows that you’re actively listening to meet your existing customers’ needs and expectations continually.

So how can technology help your company’s ability to handle customer reviews? Technology such as an all-in-one field service software like MarginPoint FieldPlus can help by eliminating time-consuming manual processes. You can use the time you’re saving to focus on growing your business and responding to your customer reviews. Ask about our free demo, and don’t hesitate to reach out to our team if you have any questions.