Reviews matter more than you think.

Google, Yelp, Facebook—hundreds of sites serve as a platform for your customers to share either a good or bad experience about your shop. Here are some eye-opening stats to prove it:

• Ninety-two percent of consumers will hesitate to buy a product if customers leave no reviews.
• Ninety-seven percent of consumers report that the customer reviews they read influence their purchasing decisions.
• Eighty-four percent of customers trust online reviews as much as they trust recommendations from friends.

The question is, are you responding to your reviews? If you aren’t, then you should be.

Customers must know that you read and recognize what they have to say by responding to their comments. A simple thank you can go a long way for a great review. For moderate reviews, thank your customer and ask them what you can do to turn their next service into a 5-star review. These customers are often willing to tell you about their experiences. If you can make the situation better, they may give you another chance to turn them into a lifetime customer.

Every business, at some point, has an unhappy customer. But what about when you get a bad review? Unfortunately, it happens. Often, bad reviews are the loudest, but there are some ways to mitigate the effects.

You can’t please everyone.

For one-star reviews, you can respond in a few different ways. But whatever you’re doing, be sure to address the reviewer by name. Facebook, Google, and Yelp all show the customer’s name.

Say thank you

Don’t forget to thank your reviewers, even the bad ones.

Apologize and sympathize

Apologizing displays that you care about your customers and are not too proud to own up to your mistakes. Even if it’s not your fault—say ‘I’m sorry.”

Take responsibility and don’t make excuses.

No matter the circumstances, you should acknowledge the customer’s experience. However, provide reassurance that you hold yourself to high standards. Apologize and let them know it’s not like you to miss the mark.

Make things right

Take ownership, and assure them their next experience will be better using specific details from their review.

Take the issue offline

Ask them to contact you by phone or email to resolve the issue.

Ask for a second chance.

Asking for a second chance creates an opportunity for you to change their mind. It also establishes trust in your ability to deliver an experience worth raving about rather than ranting.

Ensure an easy path leads to your most important review websites, such as Google or Yelp.

Reviews are essential, so when a customer is standing in front of you thanking you for a job well done, kindly ask them if they would be willing to leave you a review online. Or get creative—when you have finished working on a car, leave a candy bar, a mint, or simply a note asking for a review.

Google Reviews help improve search rankings and overall SEO efforts.

While many factors are involved in search rankings, online customer reviews are a solid signal to search engines that your business is trustworthy. It’s simple. Google trusts the power of word-of-mouth marketing, and essentially that’s what reviews are. If your company has more trust and authority, a search engine like Google will boost its rankings.

Reviews also affect PPC marketing.

If you have good reviews, customers seeing your ad will give you a higher click-through rate. And that raises Quality Score, lowers the cost per click, and allows for better ad positions. And THAT means more customers are walking through your door.

Want to learn more about our services? Or watch this blog in action. Please visit autoshopsolutions.com/academy or subscribe to our YouTube channel.