Not many of your customers will go out of their way to leave you a review on a public forum or website. We’ve talked about responding to negative comments before. However, remember that you need to respond to positive customer reviews too.
We rented a home for our last family vacation. Because we were there for a week and needed to accommodate our family and extended family, a rental turned out to be cheaper than a traditional hotel.
Give Customers a Taste of Customer Service
In doing the research of where to stay, I noticed a home listing that met our requirements for location, size, etc. After reviewing the pictures and description, I immediately started reading the reviews of those that had stayed at this property.
Every single review had a response by the owner. What impressed me was that you could sense the customer service the owner would provide you as a guest simply by reading her responses to the reviews.
Acknowledge the Positive
The owner took the opportunity to repeat the great things that visitors said about her home when she commented.
What a great way to use social proof to promote your business. The customer has already said something great about your product, reinforce that positive aspect for future customers to see.
Thank the Customer
The home owner would also thank the customer in the comment. She gave thanks for two things: staying at her home and for leaving the review.
This appreciation helps encourage more of the same behavior. She wants more positive reviews and definitely wants that customer to come back and stay at her property again.
Showing appreciation to your customers is a great way to encourage repeat business.
Praise the Customer
When the owner could recall something positive that the guest did, she would call that out in the review and highlight that good behavior. This again reinforces the behavior you’d like to see. Even if you praise the customer for being a return customer, you’ll make them feel recognized and appreciated.
Join the Conversation
You should respond to positive customer reviews to create a virtuous repeat cycle of more reviews and business that will pay dividends for years to come.