Responding to online customer reviews is critical. Read how to respond to customer reviews below.
Online reviews have become a significant part of the decision-making process. We rely on reviews to make all kinds of purchasing decisions. So much so that 92% of consumers care if a company has no reviews, 88% trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, and 97% of consumers say customer reviews influence purchasing decisions.
Considering reviews are so important, many companies – both B2C and B2B – are looking for ways to get customer reviews. Once the reviews start rolling in, however, they don’t know what to do. Do you reply? What do you say? We’ll give you the scoop here.
According to HRB, responding to customer reviews can actually improve company ratings. The study found that when hotels started replying to reviews on TripAdvisor, the number of reviews increased by 12% and ratings increased by .12 stars. With that said, replying to online reviews can be important.
What’s the best way to reply?
Many sites offer suggestions on the best ways to reply. Google offers some great tips on their support pages for responding including “be a friend, not a salesperson.” Many sites like G2 share guidelines for replying to reviews directly on the pages for vendors to respond to reviews. Even more, some reputation management solutions like Reputation.com offer tools to assist customers in generating replies based on the sentiment of each review. How cool is that?
If you don’t have a solution telling you what to say, you’ll need to create your own response. Here are some tips and templates for how to do that.
Thank Customers For Their Feedback
For either positive or negative reviews, thank the customer for replying. Anything from, “thank you for your feedback,” to “thank you for leaving us a review,” to “we appreciate your feedback,” work really well.
Apologize for Wrongdoings
If the customer is complaining, apologize.
Let them know you’re sorry. (It’s okay to be sorry!)
Something like, “We noticed you had some concerns. We’re sorry to hear you had a less-than-stellar experience with us.” Or, “We’re so sorry to hear about your experience,” works.
You don’t have to be too specific, but definitely be sincere in your apology. Don’t let corporate legal tell you not to apologize. Customers see right through that.
Correct Misinformation in the Review
While reading a customer review, you may notice some discrepancies. A customer may say “I wish the product did this [insert specific feature or functionality,]” that you may actually have or offer. It’s okay to correct this misinformation – nicely!
Some ways to do that include: “We noticed you wish we could help you with X. Great news – we do offer that feature. To access this, go [provide instructions.]” Or, “Thank you for letting us know [specific feature] feature would be valuable. You’re in luck! We already offer this! Learn more about this here: [include a link to the tutorial here.]”
PRO TIP: Provide access to the training that can help your customers in the comments.
Share Information on Future Product Roadmaps or Updates
If a customer mentions they wish you offered a feature that you don’t currently offer but will in the future, it’s okay to let the customer know! In fact, this is a great way to get your customers excited about an upcoming product release.
Say something like “We noticed you were interested in [certain feature] feature. Great news – look out for this in our upcoming Spring release!” Or, “Thank you for suggesting we add XX feature. We hear you and value your feedback. We’re thrilled to launch this in our Fall product update. Stay tuned!”
Let Customers Know You’re Reading Their Feedback
Don’t just copy and paste replies from one review to the next. Include details they mention in the review in your response. This will let customers know you’re actually reading their reviews. Show you are listening and value their input.
Invite the Customer Back
In B2B businesses, contracts are typically long-term. So this tip might not be applicable. However, in B2C businesses where repeat business is key, invite the customers to come back. If the customer is upset, give them a discount or free services and promise a better experience.
How to Respond to Customer Reviews: Templates
Responses to Positive Customer Reviews
“Thank you for your feedback. Your insights are valuable to us and I shared your comments with the team to help us improve!”
“Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed your experience with us. We noticed you wished we had XX feature. Great news! We do offer that feature. To access it, go here:… If you have any additional questions, feel free to shoot us an email at contact@company.com.”
“Thanks for your review. We’re thrilled to hear you are able to realize XX benefits with us. We do see you wish we could do XX. We’re launching that as part of our Spring release! Stay tuned!”
Responses to Negative Customer Reviews
“Thank you for your feedback. We’re so sorry to hear about your experience. We noticed you had some concerns. I just wanted to let you know I have shared your feedback with our product team to help us improve. We hope you have a wonderful day!”
“Thank you for your feedback. We’re so sorry to hear about your experience. We’d love to learn more about your experience and partner to find a solution. If you’re interested, please email us at contact@company.com.”
“We’re so sorry to hear about your experience. We appreciate you letting us know how we can improve. We’d love for another opportunity to improve. If you’d be willing to give us another chance, please email us at contact@company.com and we’ll schedule you for a new appointment for free. I hope you have a nice day.”
Responding to customer reviews can be daunting. Don’t be afraid to be authentic, really listen to your customers, and even pass information along to make real improvements.