The situation is as follows: they have a brick-and-mortar store. Your company has an online presence. they know that many customers and potential customers do online research before making a purchase. they look for sizes, colors, guarantees, prices, availability, hours of operation and location.
Then read reviews. Positive ratings and a high rating average increase the chances of retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. so how do they get these ratings? How can they get more feedback? How can you make it easy for your customers to rate your business and leave you a positive review?
Marketing experts have long known that a customer must be presented with a message seven times before it gets across - the so-called rule of seven. you will probably have to ask for reviews several times during your customer's visit. Make it easy for customers to leave you a review. It's important that they mention that they want a review before the person leaves the store. Once the customer leaves the store, their chances of getting a review drop to zero.
- Post signs in areas where your customers are.
Ask for feedback in multiple places that you know customers will "hear"! Put up signs in changing rooms and on toilet doors. Ask for it on the menu and on the tables. Signs and cards with a link to rate your business should also be displayed at the tills.
To encourage them even more, tell your customers how they will use their feedback. If they make changes based on customer reviews, they give examples. Post updates on social media about specific actions you've taken based on customer feedback, such as adding a frequently requested product to your store's shelves. Bonus: post photos!
- Collect emails and use them.
An important part of the perfect customer experience is the direct and personal follow-up with the customer. E-mails are an excellent means of doing this.
Ask at checkout, customer service, the returns desk, or all three for an email address so they can send the request for a review electronically. this saves paper and may be the preferred way for many customers to express their opinions. However, you risk a lower participation rate, so you should monitor your results.
- Have the sales staff ask for a review at checkout.
It's time for a visit from our dear friend, the Rep. They have signs. They can be overlooked. They have cards with a link that customers can go to. They can be overlooked. Leaflets are ignored or used as waste paper. The point is that all of this effort is passive. but a direct request is difficult to ignore, especially when formulated in concrete terms.
For example, your employees can say, "I'm glad you found what you were looking for. We're always striving to improve and would appreciate it if you would leave us a review. On your receipt/on the shoptimizer there is a link that will take you straight to our Google my business profile. It only takes sixty seconds. Thank you!"
Formulate the requests for evaluations with open questions or statements. Avoid "would you like to write us a review?". In most cases, a simple "no" will be the answer.
- Display signs from third-party rating platforms.
Hang signs with the logos of third-party rating platforms on your front door window. With signs like "find us on yelp" or "find us on trip advisor," you can let your customers know where they can learn more about your business, leave a review, and read what previous customers have said about you.
- Celebrate the five star ratings you've already received.
Google offers a free service called #smallthanks that brick-and-mortar businesses can use to get more reviews. sign up for google my business so you can get your free poster, stickers with your real customers' five star reviews.
Start today!
Try one of these tips or all five. What's important is that they start, whether it's emailing every customer after an interaction or picking up their free Google review poster. When you proactively ask your customers for a review, they feel heard and keep coming back. And then they send their friends! The shoptimizer tool is great for letting customers rate you directly at the point of sale in front of you. This allows customers to share their experiences directly at the moment they made them. So don't wait for your competitors to get more reviews than you. if they only get five new reviews, they're much more likely to be the business that new customers go to.
