Solution Guru @Simplify360 - 10 min read
Location reviews and review management are important for brands increasingly – both for SEO and to engage with reviews from brick and mortar stores. This includes local listings such as Facebook Reviews, Google Business reviews, Tripadvisor and Zomato.
Replying to reviews is key for brand reputation and managing SEO and SEM, using templates and automation helps reduce workload by up-to 90%.
Many brands are just starting to utilize the power of local listings and location reviews. Our in-house solutions guru has put together a list of ready to use templates that can get your teams kick-started on this journey.
Tips for Positive Response
- Address the customer by name and avoid “Dear Sir/Madam” where possible. 76% of reviews are on Google and FB. So finding their details should be easy,
- Thank people for their feedback (even if it is positive),
- Entice them to come back (see our whitepaper on review generation).
Tips for Negative Response
- Apologise and sympathise till you get to the bottom of the issue,
- Keep it short!,
- Take responsibility and provide steps for a resolution.
# 1 Replying to happy customers – Google Business Review
Hi [Name], Thank you so much for visiting our store and the 5*. And we are so glad our cosy format and hot pizza has appealed to you! Look forward to serving you again soon! Thanks, Nero
#2 Replying to Happy Customers – FB Recommendations
On Facebook recommendations, use the new tags/flairs to help you frame a template. Create a template each for the type of flairs you are likely to encounter. Ex: for hospitality it will be check-in, food and beverage, ambience, for restaurants – quality, service and so on.
Dear [Customer Name],
Thanks for leaving us such a wonderful note. We are thrilled that yet another generation has chosen us. We put customer experience and satisfaction as our priority, and your review reaffirms the hard work we put in every day. So thanks for your kind words and we look forward to seeing you again.
Thanks,
Dealer
#3 Replying to Mostly Happy Customers – mouthshut.com
Mouthshut.com has many flairs/tags that can aid buyer behavior.
Dear [Customer Name],
Thanks for the awesome feedback. Patient care and quality of service is something we pride ourselves in. Also, thanks for the feedback on the queuing and appointment. We welcome it. If you have a specific suggestion, please feel free to write to us at feedback@hospital.com or use a suggestion card at the venue the next time you visit!
Thanks,
Hospital Admin
#4 Replying to mostly happy customers – www.yelp.com
Yelp is another powerful source of location tracking. Make sure you talk to the 4* reviewers and convert them into your brand ambassadors.
Dear [Customer Name],
Thanks for the detailed feedback. We love sea-food as much as you! We are sorry that the strength of the drinks weren’t to your expectation. Seeing as this is common feedback, we are now introducing standard and strong as an option in the menu. Hope to see you again sipping on stronger drinks to go with your sea food!
Thanks,
Friendly Crab Shack manager
#5 Replying to neutral customers – www.zomato.com
Many 3* reviews are from customers on the fence. While they had points they were happy with, there were also points that left a bad taste in their mouths (pun intended).
They can be either positive or negative next time around. So ask them questions, open up the conversation so during the next trip you can convert them into promoters.
Dear [Customer Name], Thanks for the detailed feedback. We appreciate the thought and time you’ve spent in reviewing us thoroughly. We are very sorry that the meat in the burger was dry. We are not sure what went wrong as we pride ourselves in making kick-ass and tasty meals. We would love to know more. Can you please send an email to branchmanager@burgers.com or call him at 99-991-212? We would love to get a chance to fix this for you! Thanks, Burger Mama
#6 Neutral Reviews on www.tripadvisor.com
Dear [Customer Name],
Thanks for the detailed feedback. We appreciate the thought and time you’ve spent in reviewing our property! We would like to inform you that ‘happy hours’ is included in the bar by the beach until 7 PM every day. Also, we have made note of your need for kid’s activities and while we offer these on demand, we will ensure that we highlight these better. The children’s breakfast charge is mentioned clearly in all our booking avenues and we do apologise that you felt you were charged unfairly. We do hope you give you and your lovely family a chance the next time you drop by!
Thanks,
Captain @ Bali Hotel
#7 Negative Reviews on www.tripadvisor.com
Hello [NAME],
We understand your disappointment. It’s important to us that our customers are always more than satisfied and we would like the opportunity to resolve this issue immediately. If you give us a chance, we are intent on making this right and hope you will allow us to speak with you to discuss the situation.
Please reach out to us directly at [phone] at your earliest convenience or email our manager at manager@balihotel.com .
Best regards,
Bali Hotel Team
This is a critical concern, and therefore, addressing and calling to action is very important. It is a best practice to post a feedback once the call is completed.
#8 Negative Reviews with angry customers on Google Location Review
Hello [NAME],
This is not on! We pride ourselves in using highest quality ingredients and delivering orders crafted to your desires.
I would like to personally address this. Let’s get on a call and address this ASAP since we value your business. Please contact me directly at [phone/email] when convenient.
Best regards,
The Pizza Guy
#9 Negative Reviews on Facebook
Facebook offers a lot of flexibility in managing recommendations. For a person with a new product which is worth a lot, tracking and following back and engaging till resolution is of paramount importance.
If you have an omni-channel integration, you can resolve on messenger with the customer and reply with a resolution. It is worth the additional time spent in contrast with the loss of revenue from others who might see and engage with a static response.
First note
Hello [NAME], I am terribly sorry for your bad experience with the new car and a lack of resolution. This is not how we welcome members of the new family. I would like to personally address this. Let’s get on a call and address this ASAP since we value your business. Please contact me directly at [phone/email] when convenient. Best regards, The Dealer
Holding note
Hello [NAME], As discussed, this is now with our regional heads to resolve for you ASAP. We pride ourselves in completely satisfied customers. You should hear from me in the next 48 hours. Best regards, The Dealer
Always under promise and over deliver on the turnaround time.
Closure Note
Hello [NAME],
As discussed, we are now replacing the entire panel so you won’t have a paint issue anymore. We hope this is to your satisfaction. We hope this minor hiccup has not left too bad a taste in your mouth. We sincerely apologise and will ensure that we try and avoid a repeat of this situation with any other models in future!
Best regards,
The Dealer
# 10 Negative Reviews on Twitter
Hello [NAME], We are very sorry you had this experience. Can you please send us a DM with further details so we can look into it? Best regards, Recruiters at Bank
Location Reviews appear all across social media and not just review sites. With Simplify360, you can track all local listings and reviews, and respond to them with our amazing template categorization and also bulk respond to queries.
Our AI assistant can also help you auto respond to customers while flagging out anomalous data (ex: high star rating with negative content)
Schedule a demo today to learn how to use this!