First, be aware that there are NO magic wands. There are only THREE ways a review can actually be removed from Yelp!
1. The person who wrote the review decides to delete the review.
2. Yelp! or the review site determines that the review violates their Terms of Service and removes the review.
3. Litigation is initiated against the reviewer
; and, a resulting court order instructs the site to remove the review.
Short of Yelp! or other social media sites going out of business or the First Amendment to the Constitution being rescinded, these are the options available to business.
Translation: These consumer review sites are here to stay.
And, in business, either you adapt or die. Let's face it. Not everyone is cut out to be a businessman.
So, what needs to be done in order to adapt to this new world, bursting with social media review sites?
ANSWER: Give such great service, the overwhelming majority of the time, so that the voice of the chronic whiner gets drowned out.
Why? Because, ultimately, the frequency of bad reviews on the internet about your product or service comes down to two things:
1. The perceived QUALITY of customer service
provided.
2. The perceived QUALITY of the product or service that is actually offered and purchased...or not.
Yes. You do have some competitors who may post false reviews. However, the overwhelming majority of consumer reviews are just that: reviews by consumers.
And, let's face it, customer service is under the microscope more now than ever. Assuming a business provides what it is supposed to provided, customer service plays a HUGE role in making a choice. If the service in a restaurant is just plain lousy, how often are you going to return, even IF the food is really good?
Some people who post negative reviews on Yelp! are natural born whiners. And, not even Almighty God is going to get them to retract their statement. However, it needs to be dealt with in a TIMELY fashion, nevertheless. AND, you have to have a specific plan of action in place for dealing with it.
Small business owners often take these negative reviews personally. And, there is absolute truth in the saying that "Pride cometh before the fall."
Many times, business business owners enrage the reviewer EVEN MORE by responding with a poorly thought out response. To use a well known metaphor, the responding business owner "shoots themself in the foot." And, now this bungled reply to the negative review is published on the internet for the entire free world to see. Ouch.
Our process is honest and based on tried and true principles. Trying to hide and bury these reviews is futile. We understand human nature. And, we provide your business with the ways to respond in a way to:
1. Mitigate the damage done
2. Fix the wreckage - real or imaginary
3. Move on.
In addition, we can also take a look at your business operation - specifically your customer service product - in depth. And, we provide the specific methods and strategies that need to be implemented to service the ever increasing demands and expectations of the 21st century customer. And, those demands are constantly increasing.
Look around. Businesses of all sizes are being closed down. And, these results are blamed on all kinds of outside sources. Some MAY be legitimate. However, can you answer these following questions; and, will they be answered similarly or identically by the other decision makers in your business?
1. What are you doing specifically to accommodate, serve, adapt to and fulfill the desires and needs of YOUR 21st century customer?
2. How have you adapted your customer service product to deal with social media? And, very specifically, what is your written out plan of action for preparing for, heading off, and dealing with legitimate
online complaints in 24 hours or less?
3. What are you doing to cultivate your existing customer base to come back again and again and again?
4. And, given every other alternative available to them, what are the reasons your potential customer NEEDS to choose your product or service, given every other option available?
While this may seem like a wild boast, NONE of our clients had the answers to all these questions at the outset. And, their bottom line reflected this lack.
NONE of our clients, in the beginning, had a customer service product that could not be improved upon SUBSTANTIALLY. We are all here to learn, right?
You have several options available to you.
- Do nothing and see the negative consequences continue.
- Emotionally react to a negative online review; and, make the situation even worse for all the world to see.
- Hire a neutral third party to take an impartial look at your business and offer suggestions for both: A. Reducing and/or eliminating future negative reviews AND B. Increasing business so much that the few, chronic whiners are drowned out in a sea of praise
The choice is yours.
I imagine you have a couple of questions about cost. Keep reading.
QUESTION:
Can we address a negative online review and mitigate the damage?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION:
How much will this cost me?
ANSWER: The cost for addressing online reviews averages from $10-$100 each, depending on the amount of research required to successfully address and respond to the review. If you bring us on with a monthly contract, X amount of reviews are included for a flat fee.
QUESTION:
Can your company take an in depth look at our current customer service product?
ANSWER: Absolutely.
QUESTION: What can I expect as a result?
ANSWER: We furnish you with a written out blueprint of action for you to implement in your business. The methods and strategies will be specific; and, you will see short term and long term benefits, should you choose to implement them.
QUESTION: How much does that analysis cost?
ANSWER: It starts at $1500. And, we offer in-house financing.
QUESTION: What happens if I don't implement your suggestions. Do I get my money back?
ANSWER: No. If you ignore the doctor's advice, you still have to pay for their expertise in providing the diagnosis. However, should you feel you might benefit from some help with implementing the recommendations, we do offer additional services to aid you.
QUESTION: What do I need to do to get started?
ANSWER:
Kindly fill out the brief form below. And, we'll in touch promptly.