Responding to Positive Reviews

Yelp, Google, Facebook, and other customer review platforms have revolutionized how consumers learn about -- and engage with -- local businesses. Today, Yelp alone hosts more than 100 million reviews of virtually every type of local business, including restaurants, salons, dentists, mechanics, and more. Negative reviews tend to cause business owners the greatest amount of frustration and angst, but focusing solely on dissatisfied customers is a mistake that can cause business owners to lose sight of the big picture. Research shows that customers are actually more likely to leave reviews about positive experiences than negative ones. Responding to positive reviews is just as important as responding to negative reviews. Authentic reviews, whether negative or positive, are considered by many consumers to be a more accurate gauge of a brand than the brand’s own marketing messaging. Not only are consumers looking to see what experiences other customers have had, but they are also looking at how brands respond to reviews as a way to gain insight into how the company treats its customers.

When responding to positive reviews, remember these key points:

Start by thanking reviewers for their business.
When possible, use the reviewer’s name in the reply. This gives the response more authenticity.
Always personalize the response by calling out specific details from the original review.
Use language that’s designed to appeal to other consumers who might be looking for the same products or services.
Encourage the reviewer to return to your business again soon.

The best responses are short, upbeat, and to the point. They should be written in a tone that feels natural and ties in with the brand’s identity. Brands with dozens, or more, locations can receive hundreds of reviews each week. These reviews are being posted across multiple websites and review directories, and on hundreds of pages for individual store locations. At that scale, responding to positive reviews in real-time can be challenging. Brands risk either not responding to certain reviews or responding in an automated way that seems impersonal. Repetitive responses don’t help to build customer engagement. SOCi offers a number of services designed to help brands respond to online reviews at scale.