Customer reviews can seriously impact your business. Nearly 95 percent of shoppers read reviews before making a purchase. While you can't control what customers write about your business, you can control the narrative. How you choose to engage with customers online can turn a negative review into a positive interaction in the eyes of prospects.

According to Sarah-Nicole LeFlore, a customer success manager at CX Index, all customer reviews—the good, the bad and the ugly—deserve a response. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we feature LeFlore's advice on how to engage with online promoters and detractors.

How To Respond To Positive Reviews
LeFlore recommends responding with gratitude and enthusiasm. A positive endorsement of your company is essentially free marketing, and when you respond to one, it brings a personal touch to the experience, showing you care about all of your customers, not just those complaining.

  • Say thank you. Gratitude is always appreciated to show you care about your customers.
  • Make it personal. LeFlore suggests mentioning the commenter's name in your response, making it clear that you are a real person engaging with them.
  • Optimize your SEO. Include the name of your business and any important keywords or details in your response to encourage the positive review's appearance in search results for your business.
  • Include a call-to-action. Make suggestions for the customer's next interaction with your business. For example, you could respond, "Don't forget to join our loyalty program!"

How To Respond To Negative Reviews
LeFlore says that while it isn't necessary to respond to every single customer complaint, it can show your existing and potential customers that you are invested in their experience when you do.

  • Remain calm. Try not to take criticism personally, says LeFlore. Always try to respond politely and professionally when engaging with your customers, no matter how rude or unfair they may be.
  • Say thank you. Just as you thank your promoter customers for giving positive feedback, you should thank your detractor customers for their feedback as well. Even if their comment may not warrant traditional gratitude, you are gaining some sort of insight from their complaint, and it can help your business.
  • Apologize. Saying sorry goes a long way, notes LeFlore. Even if you do not agree with the customer's complaint, expressing contrition shows that you are genuinely invested in their experience.
  • Be proactive. Oftentimes an apology is enough, but in serious cases, you may need to back up your apology with some concrete action. Let the customer know how you will address the problem so that it does not happen again.

While it's preferable to receive positive comments, all customer feedback is valuable. How you respond to customer comments says a lot about your company culture. Do you respond promptly and professionally? Or do you just let comments sit there? When you take the time to respond to both positive and negative reviews, you show that your customers come first. Responding goes a long way toward retaining happy customers and potentially salvaging damaged relationships.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Sarah-Nicole LeFlore is a customer success manager at CX Index, a Dublin-based Voice of the Customer (VOC) vendor. She contributes her insights on the many benefits of prioritizing customer experience to the CX Index blog.