How to Respond to Reviews
Why Respond to Reviews?
Nearly 95% of shoppers
read online reviews before making a purchase (Spiegel Research Center, 2017)
Online customer reviews are becoming one of the most powerful tools for
marketers while promoting their product or service. In fact, 95 percent of
consumers read online reviews before making a buying decision in 2017.
Meanwhile, 85 percent will trust online reviews as much as personal
recommendations. That being said, it’s important for businesses to leverage
customer feedback, both good and bad, to build their brands and stand out from
the crowd.
Responding to reviews is
an important step to take toward fostering trust with your customers. A
heartfelt, well-written response coming from a real employee can humanize a
brand much more than just a “like” or a “share.” Additionally, consumers are
relying on it. ReviewTrackers found that 52 percent of customers expect to hear
back from brands within seven days of writing an online review—that goes for
negatives and positives.
Be Prompt
More than
80% of consumers
believe getting their issue resolved quickly is the most important part of a
great customer service experience.
Start With a Thank You
Always thank your guests
for coming in and trying out your restaurant, even if they’re regulars. Showing
your gratitude for coming in underlines the hospitality you offer in-person.
It’s the equivalent of your host thanking them on their way out the door.
Example of a response to
a good review:
“So glad to hear you
enjoyed your dinner here, Treesha! Thanks for checking us out and taking the
time to share. Hope to see you again if you're ever back in town!”
If the review is less
positive, thank them instead for coming in and for taking the time to share
feedback. Here’s a response to a review that contained a noise complaint:
“Thanks for sharing!
We always appreciate honest feedback, and it does indeed get pretty lively
in here. Glad to hear you enjoy[ed] the drinks!”
Show Customers You’re
Listening
Most of the time, when
someone posts a review, they want to be heard — so make sure that you’re
listening. Acknowledging and echoing the feedback you’ve received in
your response — positive or negative — shows that you care about what people
are saying and that you’ve actually heard what they wanted to share.
Take this example from a
review thanking the restaurant for explaining the menu to their party, who
didn’t speak French:
“Many thanks for your
post. It was a pleasure to translate our daily menu to you (hope my accent
was not to difficult to understand :). We really hope to see you next time
you are around. We wish you the best!”
Use Keywords in your
Favor
When you respond to a
review, you’re adding to the discourse about your restaurant. When someone is
searching for your restaurant or restaurants like yours on Google, the reviews
people write — and your responses — show up in search results. In your Management
Response, be aware of the words you’re using.
So while it’s great to
echo the feedback that your diners give you, think about what keywords you
use and whether or not you want those words associated with your restaurant.
If you’re known as a family-friendly restaurant, for instance, reiterate
that in your Management Response.
Be Positive,
Professional, and Courteous
While a negative review
can be incredibly frustrating, it’s important to adopt the “customer is
always right” mentality in your Management Response. Apologize for what the
customer disliked and be sure to note that if it was an unusual occurrence so
that future customers know that’s not what your brand is truly about.
Here’s a great example
from James
Hook and Company in Boston responding to someone who was a little disappointed about a
lobster roll. They highlighted what they’re known for, acknowledged their shortcomings
mentioned in the review, and asked politely for another chance:
“We're sorry if any of our staff seemed short with you on
your visit, Sheila. We want you to feel welcome in our place, and you shouldn't
feel rushed when deciding on your order. It's disappointing you didn't enjoy
the lobster roll. As a proud member of the Boston community since 1925,
we'd never want to be considered a tourist trap. We build our rolls the classic
way, with only a touch of mayo and celery, and believe the quality of fresh
lobster in every roll reinforces our price point. We hope you give us another
chance the next time you're in town.”
Be Human
Being professional and
courteous doesn’t mean you have to sound like a robot. Don’t be afraid to be
friendly and open, just as you would in person, and remind them who you are:
“Thank you so much for
taking the time to review us! If I remember correctly, I might have served
your group. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience and are
planning to visit again. Until then, hope you're enjoying your holidays, and
Happy 2016!”
When it comes to a
negative review, make sure you respond as yourself and what you personally are
doing to rectify the situation. Take this example from the Lounge
and Bar in Hong Kong.
They thanked them for reviewing, acknowledged the feedback, and made it clear
that they were personally addressing those concerns to the larger staff. They
even went above and beyond and included specific contact information for when
this reviewer returns in the future to make sure they have the best experience.
“Many thanks for taking
the time to review the Lounge and Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong.
I am sad to read that
although you enjoyed the view and apple pie, the rest of your experience were
not up to your expectations for which I would like to offer my sincerest
apologies. At The Ritz-Carlton we constantly strive to ensure the food and
drinks offered and also service is kept to a high standard. Following your
comments I will be personally addressing these issues with the Lounge and Bar
team to ensure that we provide a 5 star experience to all our guests.
We do hope your
experience will not deter you from coming back to The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
where we hope to offer you a much heightened experience. I would highly
recommend our Dom Perignon Brunch served on Sundays at Ozone, the highest bar
in the world, 16 floors higher than the Lounge and Bar.
Please contact our
Lounge and Bar manager Mr. Philip Howard (Email address below) when you are returning to
visit us so that we can ensure you have the best experience.”
Invite Them to Come
Back
Regardless of the type
of review, make sure to invite them back!
“Hi, Thank you for
writing a review and highlighting your favorites. I will make sure our Chef
Stephanie sees your wonderful compliments on her food. Hope to see you again
soon.”
If they mentioned a
particular dish or type of cuisine you offer, make sure to let them know in
your response if you’re running a special event or discount around that type of
food. If you offer a seafood special on Mondays, for example, or serve a
particular dish seasonally, you could highlight this information for other
diners reading your response.
How
to Post a Management Response on TripAdvisor
Now
that you know what to say, responding to a review is easy:
1.
Log in to the Management Center. If you haven’t already claimed your listing, you can
do so here.
2.
Choose
“Respond to Reviews” under the “Reviews” tab.
3.
From
there, you’ll be able to look at every review you’ve received. You can filter
them by bubble rating, title, and whether or not you’ve already responded to
them.
4.
Type
your response into the text box, choose your business role for your signature,
and press the orange “Submit” button.
5.
Your
response will then appear below the review.
How to Reply to a Yelp
Review
To respond to a review
via Public Comment
1.
Go to the Reviews
section of your business account
2.
Locate the review and
click Add Public Comment
3.
Enter your text and
click Preview
4.
Review the text and
click Post Comment
If you would like to edit or remove your
comment, click on the overflow menu (three dots) to the right of the comment,
and select Edit Comment or Remove Comment.
To respond to a review via direct message
1.
Go to the Reviews
section of your business account
2.
Locate the review and
click Send Direct Message
3.
Enter your text and
click Send
To respond to a review from the Yelp for
Business Owners app
1.
Tap Activity in
the bottom navigation bar
2.
Tap Reviews
3.
Tap the review you'd
like to respond to
4.
Tap the bar at the
bottom of the screen that says Write a response...
5.
Write your response
and tap Next
6.
Preview the response.
Toggle the Make Reply Public switch to ON if you'd like it to be
a public comment on the business page (OFF will be sent as a direct message to
the reviewer)
7.
Tap Post
To thank a reviewer
If you’d like to thank a user for their 4 or 5
star review, you can send a quick thank you note by clicking or tapping the Thank
button underneath the review in your Business Owner Account. This will send a
direct thank you message to the user that will not be displayed publicly on the
site, but will be visible to that user only.
How to Reply to Google Reviews
- Sign in to Google My
Business by navigating to business.google.com.
- Click the three horizontal bars
in the top left-hand corner to choose your listing.
- Click "Manage reviews." Once you find a review you want to engage with, click "View and reply" to type out a response.
