In a previous article, we talked about how to get Google reviews as a small business owner. Now, we’ll explore how to respond once the reviews start rolling in!
Let’s start with the practical steps of responding to Google reviews:
In our guide to getting more Google reviews as a small business, we covered why responding to each and every review is so important. Not only does it show your customers that you really care about what they have to say, it also increases your chance of gaining reviews from other customers by nearly 50%!
Responding to reviews is also explicitly encouraged by Google, and is thought to be a factor in influencing local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). That means it could help your business appear closer to the top of search results.
According to research, just over 50% of customers expect businesses to respond to bad reviews within a week. Any slower than that, and you run the risk of seeming like you don’t care about the feedback you’ve received. Plus, if a customer feels that they received poor service, keeping them waiting for a response is only going to add to their feelings of frustration.
All your responses to reviews are public, so staying courteous and professional is critical, even if you don’t think a review is fair.
Remember, you’re not actually replying to one disappointed customer, you’re talking to an audience of hundreds or thousands. Responding in a kind and considerate manner says a lot about you as a small business owner.
It might not seem like it, but in the long run, if there’s a problem with your product or service, it’s good to have it brought to your attention. If there’s been a misunderstanding, a public forum isn’t the best place to discuss it. Instead, acknowledge their feelings and swiftly move on to the next step.
Whether it's a refund, a replacement product, or a promise to investigate further, providing a tangible solution demonstrates your dedication to making things right. Remember, the goal is not just to appease the dissatisfied customer but also to show potential customers that you take their feedback seriously and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure their happiness.
Now, let’s put all of this feedback into action with a template you can use to respond to Google reviews. Be careful though, you don’t want to say exactly the same thing every time you encounter negative feedback!
“… Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We genuinely appreciate hearing from our customers, even when the feedback is not as positive as we would hope.
We're truly sorry to hear about your recent experience with our product/service. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. Rest assured, your feedback has been shared with our team, and we are taking immediate steps to address the issues you've raised.
Please reach out to us on (contact details) so we can get this sorted for you ASAP…“
If a customer just leaves a review saying something along the lines of ‘Terrible – I won’t be returning’, this doesn’t leave you much to go on in terms of feedback. If this happens, you might choose to say something like:
“… While we're disappointed to hear your recent experience wasn't what you hoped for, we appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. We strive to continuously improve and your feedback is valuable to us. If you'd be willing to share some details about what went wrong, we'd love the opportunity to learn from it and make things right…“
If you’ve never heard of a customer or client before or can’t find them on your internal system, they might have left you a bad review by mistake or out of malice. Alternatively, it could be spam. Either way, you should follow Google’s guidelines to try to get the review removed.
This bit’s much easier – and more pleasant! But, there’s still a few best practice guidelines to follow.
It might be tempting to say something similar in response to every Google review, but this can sound a bit forced and robotic after a while. Instead, try to make your responses varied and respond to the points made by the reviewer.
This can be a subtle way to help boost your listing's search ranking. However, the key is to do this naturally and not force it. Focus on keywords that fit the context of the review. For example, if you’re a café owner and a customer compliments your chocolate cake, you might add ‘(Café name) is well-known for its delicious chocolate cake!’ somewhere in your response.
Using a light-hearted turn of phrase or even the odd joke never goes amiss, and is a great way to deepen the relationship you’ve already begun to build with your clients or customers.
It might be quicker to quickly ask ChatGPT for a response to a review, but your customers will quickly be able to tell if you do. Plus, you’ll lose out on the opportunity to add some of your brand’s personality and use those all-important keywords!
All in all, remember: handling Google reviews as a small business owner means not just knowing the steps, but showing you care. Whether it's solving problems fast or thanking happy customers, it's all about being real and making people feel heard.
Ask away! One of our team will get back to you!
