You probably already know how important the voice of the customer is for your business, but are you placing equal importance on finding the time to read them?
Reading your reviews can do wonders for your business, and in this post, you’ll learn why. Here are three critical reasons to be reading your customer reviews.
1. You’ll Gain Invaluable Insight
You learn so much about both your business and your audience by reading what your customers have to say. If a customer is taking time out of their day to leave a review, there is a very good reason as to why — one that you should be aware of.
Read your reviews to understand your customers, find out what they love or dislike about your business, and what motivated them to carve time out of their busy schedules to leave a review, whether it was good or bad.
Customer feedback can have a make-or-break effect on your business, which makes it an imperative factor to monitor. If you’re looking for more ways to gain access to useful customer insight, here are 4 ways to gather business intelligence on your customers’ buying habits.
2. It Looks Good for Your Brand
By making it a habit to regularly read and reply to your reviews, you show the public that you are paying attention to the wants of your clientele, which will go a long way in the mind of a potential customer.
As you read through your reviews, take a few minutes to reply to some (or all) of them with a brief expression of gratitude for the kind words.
Additionally, reading and replying to your reviews is a fantastic way to represent your brand and flaunt your company’s personality for curious onlookers. Not only will you be able to spark personable connections with current customers that can increase customer engagement and loyalty, but you’ll also snag the attention of new buyers.
3. You Can Manage Your Reputation
If for no other reason, it is crucial that you read your reviews so that you can have some control over the negative marks on your company’s reputation online.
Learn how to deal with negative reviews so that you can clear up misunderstandings, amend mistakes, or simply apologize for a poor experience.
With a little damage control, you have the potential to turn a negative review into a positive customer experience for both parties involved. A fuming customer who receives an accommodating reply could redact their angry comments. A disappointed buyer could accept an apology (and perhaps some in-store credit) and continue on as a satisfied customer.
No matter how you handle negative reviews, keep in mind that the public has a front row seat to how your company handles feedback and criticism, so give them a show that they’ll be pleased with.
Read Your Reviews
According to recent studies covered by B2C, 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. 90%! Reading your reviews is imperative to the future of your company. Take some time to listen to your customers, shed some light on your brand and the personality of your company, and manage your reputation online.
About the Author: Brooke Cade is a freelance writer who’s committed to helping businesses and sales professionals build stronger connections with their customers. She writes for multiple publications including InMoment. In her spare time, she enjoys learning more about CX, reading, and engaging on Twitter.