How do I receive quality customer reviews?

How to receive quality consumer reviews is a question that many companies are asking themselves, at a time when consumers have more and more power thanks to digital rating platforms. 

The evolution of the weight of customer reviews has put many companies in difficult situations, so it's not surprising that they have to work hard to satisfy increasingly demanding customers. 

The weight of customer reviews in the digital age

Today, customer reviews play a vital role in winning new customers. Indeed, more and more people are taking the trouble to search the Internet for information about a company or a product before ordering it. Positive reviews from other users encourage new customers to place orders. 

But beware: not all your customers pay attention to these online reviews. Only those who are interested in digital technology will take the time to read them, and then leave a review of their own. 

It's worth noting, however, that some sectors are more exposed to customer reviews than others. These include museums, restaurants and hotels, where a specialized platform, TripAdvisor, has been created. But with the development of Google reviews, more and more professionals listed online via the Google MyBusiness service are exposed to customer reviews. Google listing is therefore a double-edged sword for professionals. 

Keep your sales promises to receive quality customer reviews

In the digital age, customer service has an essential role to play, as it is responsible for verifying consumer satisfaction, based on their opinions. A well-functioning customer service department is an excellent way for companies to increase sales - while pleasing their consumers. In fact, if they're able to do this, they'll not only be able to make more sales, but they'll also gain loyal customers who will generate more sales through retention, and who will tell their friends and family, bringing you even more customers thanks to the phenomenon of customer ambassadors. 

The easiest way for a brand to get positive reviews is to deliver on its marketing promise. Does your communication match the service you offer? Does the image you want your customers to have of you match the perceived image? It's this correspondence that you need to be able to adjust to ensure there are no unpleasant surprises. This inevitably involves keeping your commercial promise, and delivering a well-executed service. But you also need to review your communication materials beforehand. Perhaps your brand codes don't match your actual positioning. 

Examine the positive opinions of others to progress

However, in some cases, positive reviews of your competitors are not written by typical consumers, but have been written by employees who are trying to influence your judgment of the company. So it's always a good idea to examine these reviews with a little caution. The worst thing you can do is blindly believe everything the reviews say. In many cases, the marketing department is trying to do all it can to improve e-reputation. This is particularly noticeable when the company has both very positive and very negative customer reviews simultaneously. This is often a sign that the marketing department, or the manager of the structure, is trying to artificially improve the digital reputation of their business. 

On the other hand, if the review is not entirely negative, you can get an idea of the quality of the services or products offered by the company. If a company has a lot of positive feedback, it's probably because the products or services offered are very good. In any case, you'll know that the company has something to work on, because it's very rare to achieve perfection.

Involve as many people as possible in your e-reputation

To get positive feedback from your customers, we recommend that you develop a customer satisfaction policy within your company, at all levels. 

If you're in a large company, don't hesitate to give your managers targets that will lead to a bonus if there are more and more positive reviews related to their activity. If you're a small company, make your employees aware of this: the slightest fault noticed by a customer could be the subject of a negative comment. 

Don't hesitate to involve your customers both upstream and downstream. To do this, we recommend that you make it clear in your store (or on your website if you're an e-commerce business) that you're open to receiving customer reviews on several platforms; don't hesitate to mention all those on which you're listed: Facebook, Google, TripAdvisor... 

Then, at the end of the service, don't hesitate to encourage your customers to add their reviews online. There are several ways of doing this: the most offensive being to offer a discount, or an additional service (a free shot if you're a bar, for example) to ensure you receive a quality review. Don't hesitate to use your imagination to get positive reviews from your customers. Especially for businesses that depend on one-off BtoC customers (such as tourists).