Unlocking the Secret: How Review Requests Can Transform Your Customer Service Strategy

Want to get rid of that sinking feeling of looking with envy at the high review volumes and star ratings of your top local competitors? You already know that both review count and ratings are contributing to these brands’ dominance in Google’s Packs and Maps. Today, I’ll share some good news that could help the local businesses you market catch up and compete.

A major report just published from GatherUp has studied 23,000 locations, and from this, I have three key actionable highlights for you. My favorite overall takeaway from this interesting study is that improving your review volume, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and ratings may involve a slight adjustment in how your local business thinks about reputation management. The data indicates that this powerful user-generated content (UGC) in the form of reviews actually belongs in the customer service/customer experience department of your operations.

Review Volume As A Customer Service KPI

In the real world, your local business has to invest maximum resources into providing the best customer service in town if you want your reputation to deliver optimum profits. Everything you can do to provide convenient, memorable, neighborly customer experiences will impact both the offline word-of-mouth recommendations and online reviews you receive. GatherUp’s new report takes this work ethic a step further, surfacing a striking correlation between your customers’ convenience and your review acquisition success.

1. Customers Appreciate Being Invited To Review Your Local Business

Key Takeaway: Businesses that actively ask customers for reviews have, on average, 122 reviews per location versus just 53 for locations where review requests are absent. According to the study, 30% of all customers will act on a well-crafted review request.

2. Customers Respond To Your Care For Their Convenience

Key Takeaway: Only 6% of surveyed businesses use the magic combination of both SMS + email to request reviews. On average, an email-only methodology delivers 15 reviews per 100 requests, SMS-only delivers 20 reviews, but a combined approach delivers 26 reviews per 100 requests.

3. Actively Engaged Customers Can Have A Higher Opinion Of Your Local Brand

Key Takeaway: Businesses that invest in reputation management software have, on average, a 50% higher NPS than industry peers. Your NPS is a calculation of how likely it is that existing customers will recommend your local business to others.

Customer Service As The Nexus Of Local Business Success

Excellent customer service is pivotal in creating a memorable and trusted resource in the community. Common considerations include:

• Location – high foot traffic.
• Inventory – larger or more unusual selection of products.
• Price – lower prices or bulk-buying options.
• Expertise – knowledgeable staff.

Reviewers As The Authors Of Your Local Business Story

The quality of your customer service matters because it can influence:

• The average star rating of your Google Business Profile.
• Your ratings on other review platforms.
• The sentiments customers share about your business in reviews across the web.

GatherUp’s study highlights the importance of actively asking for reviews. If you are getting customer service right at your place of business, you will benefit from the ranking factors because the ratings and sentiment you receive will be largely positive.

Read the full report from GatherUp: Maximizing Your Online Reputation.