With 97% of people reading online reviews according to BrightLocal, managing your reputation on the web is 
extremely important to gaining new clients and improving your services. Through online customer reviews, your business can gain valuable feedback, resolve client issues, and encourage new customers to choose your business over competitors.
Respond to Online Reviews
One key component of managing your online reviews is responding to all positive and negative feedback. Answering online reviews doesn’t have to be complicated. The team at FusionTech Media has a few key tips to help you properly respond to online reviews.
Answer All Reviews
One of the easiest, but most important tips, to keep in mind is to promptly respond to online reviews, including positive and negative ones. Ideally, you should reply to feedback within 24 hours of the customer posting the review. According to BrightLocal, a leading SEO software company, 30% of consumers say they positively judge a business which publicly responds to online reviews.
If you have a reputation management system that displays all of your web reviews on one platform, this will make it easier to monitor and respond to online reviews. Receiving email notifications about new online reviews can alert you when you have a new review to respond to.
How to Respond to Positive Online Reviews
Everyone loves a compliment, so when your company receives one be sure to say thank you to the reviewer! Using the customer’s name in your response adds an extra personal touch. Customize each response based on what the person mentioned in their review. For example, if the person said that they like how your company personalizes services based on their needs, reiterate that in your response. Make sure to proofread your response before posting it online and use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Sample Positive Review and Response:
Review from Sally James:
“Dr. Johnson is a wonderful vet for my new puppy. He has a gentle touch and gives me tips to give my dog the best care possible. He is more than happy to answer my questions. Scheduling an appointment through his website is very convenient.”
Response from vet office:
Thanks for your wonderful review Sally! We’re happy to hear that you had a positive experience with Dr. Johnson. We hope to take care of your puppy for many years to come.
How to Respond to Negative Feedback
You can’t please everyone, so having occasional negative reviews is inevitable. You should not overreact when your company receives a negative review, but you should respond appropriately. If the review is particularly infuriating, take a deep breath and wait to write your response when you’re calm. You should apologize to the reviewer, even if there was a perceived mistake, and let them know that you will correct the situation.
Take the conversation offline if needed. Ask the customer to send you an email or call you to gather more information about the situation. You don’t want to argue or appear aggressive in your response online, and you don’t want to have a negative back and forth conversation on the web.
Keep in mind that other people will see the negative review and how your company handled the situation. Whether the customer writes a positive or negative review, you should always thank them for taking the time to leave their honest feedback.
Sample Negative Review and Response:
Review from Chris Peters:
“I’m very disappointed with Dr. Johnson’s office. The people at the front desk were rude and they charged me for additional medication that my cat didn’t receive. I will never visit this vet again!!”
Response from vet office:
Thank you for taking the time to write a review about our veterinary office, Chris. We are very sorry to hear that you had a negative experience with our staff. Please give us a call at 555-555-5555 or email us at contactus@veterinaryoffice.com so we can learn more about the situation and offer a solution. Thank you.
Follow these easy tips to grow your company’s online reputation and increase the number of customers you receive!
About Reputation Management
The Reputation Management system from FusionTech Media offers convenience for a variety of businesses and industries. This tool can manage reviews from Google, Yelp, and Facebook all on one platform.
Instead of having to login to each review site and respond to reviews individually, you can monitor and reply to your company’s online reviews through the Reputation Management system. You’ll also receive email notifications to let you know when you have a new review to respond to.
If you would like to learn more about online reputation management from FusionTech Media, please contact Jill Baker, Director of Sales, at jbaker@fusiontechmedia.com or 720-218-1196.
