Facebook Reviews. They’re either really good or really bad.
Very rarely does someone give a three-star review – it’s either all or nothing. Your customer’s experience with you was either AMAZING or horrendous. I was tasked a few months ago to research car dealership reviews and see how the typical dealer handles praise or negativity. This is what I found:
The Good
Positive reviews are easy to respond to. However, most of the responses to positive reviews that I read had a generic, “Thank you Customer Name! We’re so glad you had a good experience!” It seems genuine, but when you see the same (or very similar) response to each positive review, they begin to lose credibility. I mean, how many other ways can you say, “Thank you?”
Try these responses instead:
- Point out specifics from the review. (“We’re so happy you had a great experience with us, Customer Name. We really enjoy having Salesperson on our team!”).
- If the customer leaves 5 out of 5 stars, but no written review, respond to the review by asking the customer if they would mind telling you about their experience.
- Get the salesperson who helped them to comment on the review as well!
The Bad
The dreaded 1 star. Even worse, the 1 star with a written review of, “I’d give 0 stars if I could.” Ouch! As humans, it’s in our nature to avoid conflict. Very few dealerships responded to negative reviews. I understand–it’s not easy to respond to negative reviews, as it can take us out of our comfort zone. What if you make the situation worse? What if you say something wrong?
Relax. In fact, the worst thing you can do is ignore that negative review. You have a customer who had a bad experience, and you can bet that they’ll be telling their uncle, best friend, neighbor, and cashier at the deli about it. Twice. Did you know that 70% of people who complain only are hoping to receive a response?
But it Hurts!
It’s easy to get offended when a customer has a bad experience and broadcasts their discontent for the whole world to see. But in every situation, there’s your side, their side, and the truth. You need to understand that some employees make mistakes, just as some customers twist the truth. You should always speak to the customer without skepticism. Reach out to them through a private message. If they feel comfortable sharing their phone number, give them a call.
But before doing either of these, make sure you have a plan of resolution. Sometimes a simple apology will suffice. After you resolve the issue (this won’t always happen), kindly ask the customer to change their negative review.
As with positive reviews, the same rule applies to customers who only leave a poor review without a written explanation. Ask them for an explanation!
The Truth
Just how important are customer reviews? Turns out, they’re very important. In fact, 69% of customers look online for reviews of a business. Thank your customers and address their concerns. That’s what people want! It’s not just about the product or service you’re offering anymore. It’s about their over-all experience.
The numbers speak for themselves. Reviews are critical and cannot be ignored or taken lightly. If you have questions or comments about Facebook Reviews, contact me here or post a message in the comments!
Megan Asbill is a Facebook Specialist at SCP Agency.
She enjoys helping clients grow their businesses by developing and implementing social media strategies that best fit their needs. Megan specializes in automotive dealership marketing and has been in the automotive sales industry for 3 years.
