With technology taking over our day to day lives and cell phones becoming more widespread than ever across the world, we all know that more and more people are using their cell phones to find services and products within a click of a button.
Did you know that Google Maps is used by 54%of all smartphone users making it the most used smartphone app? Google has done research showing that over 55% of people doing a search on their phone take a conversion action within 1 hour, and 84% of mobile searchers take a conversion action within 5 hours.
Millennials are the most likely to use their smartphone, with a recent study which indicated that 93% of Millennials usually read reviews prior to making a purchase. And that while only 77% of them trust reviews on brand websites, a whopping 97% of them trust anonymous reviews
Why it Matters?
From time to time, even the best run business is going to get a negative review. Not responding to a negative review can cost you money. This is how:
For example, if you’re a Fish and Chip restaurant, and a prospective customer does a search and sees this, do you think you are going to get the order?
Or is this competing restaurant in the same area going to get the call instead?
We all know which one would get our call…
Big Brands Behave Badly
It is understandable if a lot of small businesses don’t have responses to their reviews as they are always crunched for time and don’t always have someone to delegate the task to.
Here is an example of big-box retailer:
As you can see, negative reviews are going unanswered on a consistent basis:
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Take this major telecommunications company for example – more than 2 dozen reviews, mostly terrible.
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How about a major retailer with many locations? Nope.
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What about these very respond able and specific complaints about a major shipping company? Nope, nothing…
Luckily there is hope if you have a bad review, you don’t have to live with that reputation forever.
For example, this customer took the time to change their review because of a conversation they had with the manager. Since their concern was addressed, they took the time to change the review.
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There is always a more humorous approach like the owner of Voltaire restaurant in Kansas City did on a Yelp review if responding to reviews isn’t working for you…
Take the initiative and respond to reviews, don’t let them sit! Addressing complaints is just good business.