As soon as it comes to feedback, most business owners rush to work off the negativity. On the one hand, there is nothing more important than responding to criticism and getting your good name back. On the other hand, positive feedback, be it a teen patti game review or a comment about services provided to a local massage therapist, is often overshadowed. They are either ignored, or they are answered with clichéd phrases. Both are bad from a reputational point of view. Proper handling of flattering opinions can retain current customers and attract new ones. Let’s learn how to thank a customer for a review.
Why Respond To Positive Reviews
First, because people expect it. According to ReviewTrackers, 53% of users expect to see brand representatives respond to a posted review within a week. Second, responses to positive reviews are noticed not only by their authors, but also by future customers. BrightLocal conducted a study that found 88% of people would be more willing to use a brand if they saw that its owners responded to all reviews, both positive and negative.
Thus, handling positive feedback correctly will help you:
- Increase sales. Attention from the business convinces customers that the company really appreciates them and is grateful for the feedback. This increases the likelihood of repeat referrals and purchases.
- Attract new customers. Responding to feedback allows you to demonstrate openness and concern for your audience. Other people will see that the brand cares, so it will be easier for them to make a choice in their favor.
- Increase search engine rankings. If your response mentions the company name, the word “review” and other key phrases, the card will be more successfully ranked by search engines and rank higher in search results.
- Encourage brand advocates. Brand advocates are the best thing that can happen to your business, because these are the people who, on their initiative, support and defend it in the public space. Regularly engaging with positive opinions will keep fans engaged and strengthen their loyalty.
What Positive Reviews Don’t Need an Answer
If you’ve already imagined writing responses to customer reviews all day long, don’t jump to conclusions. You can give feedback selectively. The principle of “less is better” works here. Short unemotional statements such as “Fast and high quality,” “Worthy company,” “Thank you, I liked everything,” “I will come again,” can be left without attention. They have nothing to latch on to in order to write a good response.
Conversely, long, detailed reviews, where the client generously shares details of cooperation, shouldn’t be overlooked. If the person didn’t just give it 5 stars but also remembered the names of the staff, noted interesting service details or attached photos, the best thing you can do is thank them for it.
How to Response to a Positive Review
Now let’s get to the main topic – tell you how to respond to a positive customer review.
Address the Author by Name
No name makes you think you’re just writing a check mark comment, but a personal connection helps engage the person from the start. You can then say hello or get right to the point.
Thank the Customer for Their Opinion
Here, too, everything is simple, but the main catch is in epithets. You can say “thank you” for a detailed, high-quality, extended or pleasant review. The words “honest” or “sincere” should be avoided, so you automatically hint at the fallacy of other opinions. It’s better to experiment with the wording so that your comments don’t look too formal and similar to each other.
Emphasize the Benefits
In a good review, a person usually notes what he or she liked: polite staff, quality product, convenient location, pleasant atmosphere, etc. Your task is to reveal these benefits in your response and focus the audience’s attention on them. This way you will simultaneously show customer engagement and cement a positive image of the business in people’s minds. When analyzing the benefits in the response, choose the strongest ones so as not to inadvertently highlight the problematic aspects. Sometimes there is even something to sell on the crest of success, but with this, too, you need to be careful.
Offer Something Valuable
Just imagine: the person took the time, recalled the details of the visit, and wrote an emotional, colorful review about how great you are. Of course, he deserves a gift or at least a small token of appreciation. It’s great if it’s a free product or bonuses on the card. If this is impossible, you can limit yourself to announcing new products or reminding yourself about a good deal. The main thing is to be consistent and offer equal gifts to all authors to avoid embarrassment and resentment.
As for the size of your answer, don’t write an entire essay. You can keep the structure in 2-3 paragraphs. The main thing is sincerity and a sense of lively dialogue.
Invite Them Back
At the end of the formal response to the review, a call to action is imperative. Possible formulations: “Come again!”, “We look forward to seeing you again”, “We hope to see you again”, etc. You can not only suggest that the client repeat his visit but also suggest that he try something new.
General Tips for Responding to Positive Feedback
These tips will help improve your handling of positive feedback:
- Do away with templates. Of course, it’s easier said than done. Especially when you have a blank page in front of you. But the more lively and varied your responses are, the better impression they will leave. Templated phrases have the opposite effect and emphasize indifference to what’s going on in reviews.
- Respond quickly. Ideally, within 24 hours. Yes, it’s difficult, but it’s the best way to show customers that you care about their feedback.
- Mimic the client’s style. Did they write you a funny review with lots of smiley faces? You should respond in the same way. We agree, it’s top notch, but it’s worth it. It’s all psychology’s fault: we unconsciously copy their facial expressions, gestures, and manner of speech to please the person. The same principle works here. Being on the same wave with the client, you are sure to win his sympathy.
- Don’t turn a response to a good review into a fight against negativity. Sometimes customers dilute positive reviews with flaws like, “The food was great, but the parking lot at the restaurant could have been better. Don’t be tempted to make excuses, or you’ll shift your focus to the flaws. Instead, focus on the good things, thank them for their high praise, and promise to improve service.
- Remember the visual. Elementary response paragraphing and literacy will also contribute to the piggy bank of responsive communications. Before you publish your answer, check it for errors, remove repetitive thoughts, and add emoticons if appropriate.
- Don’t overload your response with keywords. The company name and the words “review,” “buy,” “order,” etc. should be used judiciously. Otherwise, your comment will look like a robot’s action and won’t reach its goal.
Getting more positive feedback from customers will help with special services. They allow you to make mailing lists with requests to share your opinion, as well as to sort the feedback received and send out responses in one window.
