Shalom Lamm Increase Customer Reviews
According to real estate investor and entrepreneur Shalom Lamm, passion and drive are two essential keys to any successful business owner and entrepreneurship endeavors.
However, besides long hours and determination, he acknowledges customer word of mouth, alongside social visibility, as one of the most critical drivers in customer growth and long-term retention.
Customer reviews are everywhere, engaging customers and potential buyers on social media platforms like Facebook, Yelp, and Tripadvisor. However, not all customer feedback reviews are random. Savvy business owners take steps to influence customer behavior to include positive feedback and social sharing actions.
Customers must believe their reviews and feedback matter. Read on to understand how business owners can take steps to guide the feedback activity of their customers.
Shalom Lamm advocates it is possible to influence customer behavior before purchase through advertising and following on from the point of service or sale.
Follow Me
If fortune is in the follow-up, it makes sense for business owners, via permission-based requests, to collect email addresses from their customers. Following the point of service, follow up with a quick ‘thank you’ email.
Many companies offer list building/email services to include templates designed to engage customers into responding. A ‘thank you’ email, scheduled via auto send, can be included with an email receipt, a coupon, and a request for feedback. Business owners can take the most favorable reviews for distribution.
The benefit of this approach is the potential for continued engagement with the customer. In a world of online anonymity, people need to feel valued and included. Asking for feedback or ‘help to improve customer service’ can, in the long term, keep a company front and center of clientele. A client who perceives a higher level of engagement with its customer and community base is more likely to return and recommend the establishment to others.
Value-Added
No one enjoys feeling a company has cut corners or fails to add value to the customer/business exchange. As an entrepreneur, it is essential to continually look for ways to improve customer service and provide extra service over their competitors.
A special report explaining how to get the most from product X or Y is more likely to garner client goodwill, leading, hopefully, to a positive review. A free downloadable ebook or special report as a thank you offer following a purchase is often appreciated.
Importantly, it is vital to make leaving a positive review a relatively easy chore. Providing links to social review sites is a helpful starting point.
Keeping auto-generated forms to one page will help ensure customer completion.
Happy to Serve
Lastly, and perhaps more importantly, customer service is vital. Suppose a diner is left sitting at a restaurant for twenty minutes without the acknowledgment of a server. In that case, that person is more likely to leave a bad review.
Remember that as the disgruntled diner is seated at the table, smartphone in hand, negative reviews may appear on key social sites before the issue even arrives at the manager’s attention.
Ensuring a stream of positive reviews is key to business survival. Maintaining excellent customer service and guiding customers through a rewarding and straightforward review process should enable a high-quality, engaged client base.