Guidelines for Requesting Customer Reviews
If you don't request them, you won't receive more reviews. Here are some best practices to assist you in generating more reviews.
Published: Sep 24, 2022
Favorable customer reviews play an essential role in contemporary marketing and reputation management. They aid in making business decisions valued by your customers and significantly enhance brand awareness.
However, if you don't grasp the fundamentals, you won't transform into a review-generating powerhouse overnight. In this article, we will guide you on how, where, and why to request reviews.
Reviews Play a Vital Role in building social trust
In the contemporary landscape, reviews are not merely a pleasant addition to an online presence; they are an essential tool that can either make or break your business. After all, identifying areas for improvement in the customer journey is impossible without understanding where there is room for enhancement in the first place.
Reviews play a pivotal role in attracting new customers, especially in the final stages of decision-making. Online reviews are trusted by people when determining where to shop or which company to choose for a particular service. A higher number of five-star reviews contribute to an enhanced reputation and attract a greater number of customers.
Requesting Reviews from Customer
While online reviews hold significance, the challenge lies in how to request them. It might feel awkward, and it's essential to avoid making customers feel exploited or burdened. Timing is crucial when asking for positive reviews, and it's important to choose the right moment in the customer journey for optimal results.
Now, let's delve into the locations, timing, individuals involved, and the methodology.
Requesting Reviews from Customer
WHO to Ask for Reviews
When seeking reviews, the objective is to collect feedback. Approaching satisfied or loyal customers is likely to yield positive reviews, thereby enhancing your business's online presence.
Certainly, you cannot influence whether someone pens a positive or negative review. Even top-tier businesses encounter negative reviews, and though not enjoyable, these instances can offer valuable learning opportunities.
WHERE to Ask for Reviews
One of the initial considerations is determining the location to request positive reviews from customers. Several options are available—virtually every channel you currently utilize to engage with customers can serve as a platform to seek online reviews. The crucial aspect is selecting the appropriate channel at the opportune moment.
We suggest leveraging the following channels when requesting reviews:
Email
Your website
Social media
Phone calls
Text messages
In-person
WHEN to Ask for Reviews
Following the receipt of a product or service by the customer
Post-consultation or conversation
After a customer tests a new product
Upon receiving commendation from a client
After receiving payment for a service
Consider that the timing of requesting customer satisfaction feedback depends on the specific type of feedback you are seeking. For instance, if you are interested in insights about someone's shopping experience and how it can be enhanced, you might ask immediately after their purchase. Conversely, if you are seeking an online review regarding a product's quality, it is advisable to wait until the customer has received it and had sufficient time to test it out.
HOW to Ask for Reviews
Now that you are aware of the reasons, timing, locations, and the appropriate individuals to request positive reviews, let's delve into the details—how do you go about asking? Here are some effective strategies to consider for accurately assessing customer satisfaction.
Utilize texting and ongoing conversations to your advantage.
We highlighted text messaging as one of the channels for review requests, and it's worth emphasizing. Texts boast a high open rate, increasing the likelihood that clients will see your request. If you're already engaged in text communication with clients, seizing existing conversations as an opportunity to request a review only takes a few seconds.
Avoid pressuring customer for a reviews.
Keep in mind that you're requesting reviews, not instructing customers to leave them—pushy interactions are generally not well-received. Increase the probability of customers leaving reviews by clarifying why their feedback is valuable. Communicate to your customers that their reviews contribute to the growth of your business and the enhancement of the overall customer experience.
Create occasions to request reviews.
Seek natural moments within the conversation to solicit online reviews. A typical instance is when cashiers inquire if you found everything you were seeking at checkout.
Customize the solicitation.
When seeking online reviews through text messages or emails, make an effort to personalize the messages extensively. The request should convey a friendly tone, addressing the customer by name, referencing the specific product or service they purchased, and perhaps even incorporating an emoji.