Monthly Tips

💬 Make responding to reviews simple with direct replies

Last month, we spoke about the importance of responding to reviews. But it's not always easy to reply to reviews scattered across different portals. Our direct reply feature saves you time by allowing you to respond to reviews straight from your dashboard.

📞 Dial into success: the power of customer calls

Jumping on a call with a customer can reveal valuable insights that surveys sometimes miss. Picking up the phone shows you’re willing to go the extra mile and genuinely value their feedback.

Who should I call?

Your calling strategy should align with your business objectives. To build customer loyalty, focus on customers who had positive experiences but mentioned room for improvement. If you want a better handle on customer satisfaction, start with customers who shared memorable feedback, regardless of whether it’s good or bad.

Tips:

• Schedule the call ahead of time so the customer is prepared
• Specify upfront how long the call will be
• Ask questions tailored to the feedback they’ve given you
• Keep your questions open-ended and encourage the customer to do most of the talking
• If you make any changes as a result of the customer’s feedback, follow up and let them know

💬 88% of people say it’s important for businesses to respond to reviews

Whether positive or negative, it’s clear that customers don’t want reviews to go ignored. Here are some quick tips for effective review responses.

• Speed matters: fast response times are essential, especially for negative feedback. Integrate review responses into your daily tasks to ensure no review goes unnoticed.

  
  

• Remember, your reply isn’t just for the reviewer: prospective customers also read your responses when considering your business. Replying shows you’re committed to customer satisfaction and can help you make a great first impression.

  
  

• Be comprehensive: the more detailed your replies, the better. For instance, if a review mentions your checkout process, don’t just confirm your standard times—offer information on late checkouts and how to arrange them. This helps prospective customers (and search engines) learn more about your business.

  
  
• Reach out directly: when using Customer Alliance to respond, also send a personalised email to the reviewer. This ensures your message reaches them and adds a personal touch to your service.

By following these guidelines, you’ll show any potential customer that your business cares about feedback.

📨 Struggle to stay on top of your reviews? Set up email alerts [2 minutes]. Get email notifications every time you recieve a new review. See how in this walk through video.

📝 Uniform surveys = more valuable insights

When’s the last time you revisited your survey questions? It may seem like a small detail, but consistency in your surveys can be the key to unlocking deeper, more valuable insights. Here's how to make every piece of feedback count.

Standardise your core questions

Questions that you can apply to all areas of your business (for example, questions about overall satisfaction and service quality) should be phrased and measured the same. This ensures you can reliably compare feedback and understand your business’s strengths and weaknesses more easily.

 Tailor other questions for specific insights

Add 1-2 questions tailored to each location or business area’s unique features. By addressing these aspects, you can identify and resolve issues specific to a particular area, leading to more targeted and effective improvements. This approach ensures you don't miss crucial feedback that you might not capture with more general questions.

 Add multi-departmental value

Include a core question that provides valuable insights for different teams. For instance, asking "How likely are you to stay with us again?" helps marketing gauge customer loyalty and plan retention strategies, while customer service can use this feedback to identify and address any issues affecting repeat stays.