The digital world has brought consumers and businesses closer than ever. The majority of customers conduct online research to determine which brands to trust. That is why companies need to maintain an excellent online reputation. A business's online reputation is influenced by the reviews customers leave on their page.
On average, 95% of consumers read the reviews before buying anything. Thus, customer reviews provide an excellent venue for your business to engage with existing and future clients. Positive thoughts generate new companies, while negative feedbacks tend to discourage prospective clients.
Why should you respond to online reviews?
A study conducted by Brightlocal.com highlights why it is wise to respond to online reviews.
The majority of customers write a review expecting to receive a response.
Customers who leave good feedback on your page deserve a show of gratitude. Unsatisfied customers also expect an acknowledgment of their experience, and it is wise to give them that satisfaction regardless of whether you feel their review was unjust. Respond politely and promise a better service or product to appease their dissatisfaction, and maybe they will consider giving your business another chance. Remember, good or bad, be gracious always as they made an effort to connect with you.
20 % of customers expect to receive a response within a day, while 26 % expect a response within two days
Customers who leave reviews tend to wait for an answer to their feedback. Responding to positive and negative reviews is essential; it allows happy customers to feel appreciated and unsatisfied customers to feel their complaints were heard.
96% of consumers read the response of the business to both good and bad reviews
Almost all consumers read how the company responds to customer feedback. Ensure that you have a relevant response to each one because your current and potential clients are reading them.
78% of consumers tend to forgive a business for a mistake after receiving excellent service, as shown in the research conducted by Salesforce
Responding to a negative review is an opportunity for a company to turn a bad experience into a good one. A business is provided a chance to redeem its good reputation by providing an appropriate response.
It is not only polite but also essential to respond immediately to customer reviews. Crafting a response, however, takes a lot of time. Expect to respond to different reviews ranging from purely star ratings to satisfied customers to venting customers. Best to be ready with several templates to address the various tones of reviews in a manner aligned with your brand. You may use a free online customer review response template or compose your template.
In creating your template, remember a few of the valuable components of a good response.
Say Thank You
Open your response statement by thanking your customer for taking the time to give your business a review. It's important to remember that any review helps your local SEO ranking; that includes both positive and negative.
Refer to their experience
Refer to the details of the experience with your company that the customer has shared, if any. Highlight all positive points in your response.
Invite to discuss further
For unsatisfied reviewers, invite them to reach out via email, direct message, or telephone. Make them feel you care about them and are eager to provide measures to resolve their issues, if possible.
Invite to return
Close your response on a positive note. Invite the customer to return soon and subtly promote your company's other services or products.
Remember that review response templates are guides. You should not copy-paste review responses. Tweak your templates and make them sound personalized and not robotic. Different types of reviews deserve different responses.
Sample Response Templates Depending On Type of Review
Positive Review Response Template
The template should include a thank you to the customer for a positive rating containing 4 or 5 stars without text. To have a more personal touch, you could include a question probing which product or service the customer enjoyed.
Sample Response Template 1
Hi [Customer]
Thank you for leaving a 5-Stars review. May we know which of our products you tried and enjoyed? At [Business Name], we continuously strive to serve you better.
We are looking forward to seeing you again soon!
Best Wishes
[Business Name] Team
For a positive review with text, the template should include a thank you, a reiteration of the service or product that the customer liked if mentioned, and an upselling of other products or services offered by your company.
Sample Response Template 2
Hi [Customer]
Thank you for a lovely review. We are so happy to hear you loved our fresh ingredients. Our salads and fruits are great as well. You might want to try them on your next visit.
We are looking forward to your next visit!
Best Wishes
[Business Name] Team
Negative Review Response Template
For negative ratings (1 or 2 stars), the template should include a question that encourages the customer to share their experience and provide details so you can take measures to improve their future engagement with your business.
Sample Response Template 3
Dear [Customer]
Thank you for sharing your honest feedback. We were sorry to read that your experience was not an amazing one. At [Business Name], we strive to provide our customers with the best experience.
Please reach out to [Contact Person] with specific comments, concerns, or suggestions that you have in order to improve your experience in the future.
We would love to have the opportunity to make things right.
Best Wishes
[Business Name] Team
For a negative review, the template should include:
a thank you for the review
a reiteration of the service or product that the customer did not like
an expression of regret that they were not satisfied with the product or service
and a statement to encourage the customer to reach out so your business could address their concern.
Sample Response Template 4
Dear [Customer]
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We were sorry to read that your experience was not an amazing one. At [Business Name], we strive to provide our customers with the best experience.
We take our customers' feedback very seriously. We ensure that the [Service Name or Product Name], we provide that the [Service/Product] quality is of the highest standards for our [Service/Product].
Please reach out to [Contact Person] with specific comments, concerns, or suggestions that you have in order to improve your experience in the future.
We would love to have the opportunity to make things right.
Best Wishes
[Business Name] Team
Online customer reviews help bring traffic to your site, which is beneficial to your business's local #SEO ranking. Remember to promptly respond to all your customer reviews to show you value them and encourage potential consumers to check your business. You may use free online templates or craft your review response templates using the samples shown to make responding less daunting. Always customize and personalize your responses to remain authentic and not robotic.