Jul
28
Written by:
SuperUser Account
7/28/2011 9:57 AM
If you think your customers are not talking about you on-line, think again. These days, savvy consumers research nearly every purchase before it is made. Rating websites like Yelp, Yahoo! Local, Angie's List, Google places and even Craigslist have consumers discussing all sorts of service providers. Localized on-line publications, like Patch, have also started reviewing businesses and allowing readers to comment.
Car wash owners can stay on top of customer reviews and ratings with sites that combine searches of several websites and send out reports of what consumers are saying. Using Google alerts, Get Satisfaction, SocialMention and Nutshellmail can help businesses manage their reputations on-line. Customers will recognize those businesses that care about service, patronize them frequently and refer their friends. Businesses not paying attention to the talk on-line will be missing out on a chance to delight their customers and potentially turn bad situations into opportunities to grow.
One recent search on Yelp turned up the following comment on a local carwash: “In response to my initial rating of the carwash, I was contacted rapidly by the management. They expressed sincere disappointment that the experience didn't meet my expectations. They promised to address the situation internally and offered to make things up. I applaud the management for their responsiveness and thoughtfulness. Clearly they place a high value on their customer service...” This rater had several reviews under his belt and all are well-written and credible. This rater is not unique- this particular wash had over 40 reviews dating from 2009.
Here at Unitec Electronics, we use Google alerts to ensure we follow what our customers are saying about us, and we will often get involved in the conversation when users have specific questions about our products. Not only are we able to get to know our customers by name, but we can spotlight how to maximize the features of our products or point them to useful resources like our tech support, instructional manuals or local distributors.
You can get started using these on-line tools with three basic steps:
1. Listen to the conversation- search your name and your competitors’ names on the rating websites and local publications to see what customers are saying and how businesses are reacting to those comments.
2. Determine which sites make the most sense for your business- you may discover that localized media outlets get more traffic than national websites; if so focus your efforts there.
3. Develop guidelines for conversation and start interacting- decide on criteria for how and when to respond to customer comments and do so when appropriate. Take heated exchanges or extreme situations off-line to avoid negative attention.
The bottom line: rating websites are powerful tools that can be used to make or break a business’s reputation. Customers are using them everyday. Get in on the conversation and make the most of it! If you have done this already, please comment below and share your experiences.