Why Respond?
According to the Google My Business support page, businesses should “interact with customers by responding to reviews that they leave about your business. Responding to reviews shows that you value your customers and the feedback that they leave about your business.” This statement is then followed by “high-quality, positive reviews from your customers will improve your business’s visibility and increase the likelihood that a potential customer will visit your location.”
To better understand the thoughts of consumers, ReviewTrackers did a study on over 200,000 reviews within their database. Here is a better understanding on why responding to reviews is so important.
- 94 percent of consumers say that a bad review has convinced them to avoid a business.
- 53 percent of customers expect businesses to respond to negative reviews within a week.
- But 63 percent say that a business has never responded to their review.
- 45 percent of consumers say they’re more likely to visit a business that responds to negative reviews.
Negative Review: How to Respond
Six Steps to Generating the Right Response:
1. Make it Personal: The customer is leaving a review that way their voice is being heard. You want to reply starting with "Dear customer" or "Dear guest" that way they feel a personal connection from you or your company.
2. Be Appreciative & Say Thank You: Let the customer know that you appreciate what they have to say and you are thankful for their time. Here are few things you can say:
- “Thank you for taking the time to write a review. I’m sorry to hear you had a frustrating experience, but I really appreciate you bringing this issue to my attention.”
- “Thank you for bringing this issue to light. We’re sorry you had a bad experience. We’ll strive to do better.”
- “Thank you for letting us know. Your feedback helps us improve and we appreciate that. We are looking into this issue and hope to resolve it promptly and accurately.”
3. Apologize and Take Responsibility: Own up to the mistake made and apologize. Guests as well as homeowners know and understand that everyone is human and mistakes are made sometimes. Here are a few examples of how to get to the point and apologize efficiently.
- “Thank you for posting a review and we’re sorry to hear that your experience was not of the quality you expected. We would like the opportunity to investigate your feedback further.”
- “We’re so sorry that your experience did not match your expectations. We apologize again and this is on us.”
- “We set a high standard for ourselves, and we’re so sorry to hear this was not met in your interaction with our business.”
4. Make a Change: If the issue is fixable then try your best to make things right. It will mean much more to a customer when you offer to fix an issue as opposed to just saying sorry. If the issue is just not fixable and there is nothing to give in return, here is something you could say.
- “I apologize deeply for the issue at hand. Please know that your situation was an exception. As you can see on other reviews, we are known for taking ownership because we care deeply about each and all of our customers. We can’t fix the past but you have my personal commitment to improve on our mistakes. Until then, please accept my sincerest apologies on behalf of everyone on the team.”
5. Move the Chat Offline: It’s best for communication to be direct and to take the issue offline. With that being said, this is the time to provide contact information to give the customer a chance to contact you directly to further discuss issues. Here is something you can say to provide them with more information.
- “We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to investigate your feedback further and in more detail. If you could, please contact me at [Email Address] or call our team at [Phone Number]? I look forward to hearing from you and working with you to resolve any issues as quickly as possible.”
6. Earn a Second Chance: Don't right off all the bad reviews, try to get them to give you a second chance. By giving you a second chance, it is a way to earn back trust and earn back the business of many customers. Reach out a hand with a message like this.
- “Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We are very sorry we failed to meet your expectations and fell below our standards. I would appreciate another chance to earn your business and trust back. Please give us a call at [Company Phone]. to discuss future options.”
Positive Review: How to Respond
Two Steps to Generating the Right Response:
1. Reinforce the Positive by Saying Thank You: Say thank you and show your appreciation for the time and effort that the customer put in to write the review. Customers are more likely to write a bad review before they write a good one, so appreciate those who go out of their way. Here are a few things you can reply with to let the guests know that you appreciate them very much.
- "Thank you this review just made our day!"
- "We thank you so much for taking the time to write such a kind review."
- “We are so grateful for your heartfelt words. Thanks for sharing your review with our company and the community.”
2. Welcome Them Back: Let the guests know that you would love to see them again! This makes the customers feel that they are card for and that you want them to stay in your vacation home again. Here are a few responses a guest would love to hear.
- "Thank you so much for the kind words. Please come back soon!"
- "Since you loved your vacation rental so much, we would love to give you the opportunity to book again for the upcoming season."