Excellent customer service is a vital business success pillar for any company. Brands like Marriott, Amazon, and Nordstrom are among the most lauded for going above and beyond to ensure 100% customer satisfaction.
Most may argue that these brands’ success can be attributed to their size and available resources. But the reality isn’t that they offer better services or products. Rather, they flourish more than other companies, thanks to their robust customer service dedication.
In the current digital business landscape, the best way to achieve more visibility into your customers’ feelings and experiences is by checking out social platforms and review sites. While some companies may see this as additional stress or a roadblock, others consider it an opportunity to optimize their customer service practices and policies and grow consumer trust.
This detailed piece will guide you on the best ways to respond to positive and negative reviews and use the insights to improve your customer service and brand quality.
Why Respond to Reviews?
Customer reviews will give you a vivid picture of what customers think about your practice. Taking your time to respond to these remarks shows your customers that you’re concerned about their opinion. This is something anyone will appreciate and will make your law firm stand out from the rest who don’t look at their customers’ sentiments, especially the negative ones. Furthermore, responding to your customers’ reviews will also earn you the trust of new clients.
By responding to a review, you’ll be communicating directly with the specific person who left the remark. Your response will be public, and any potential customer will see how you handled the issue. Addressing client reviews with gratitude, grace, and a little wit can substantially impact your customers’ and prospects’ perception of your law firm.
In the current business landscape, customers rely on reviews when vetting local brands. In fact, up to 84 percent of consumers trust online reviews as they would if it was a personal recommendation. Knowing the correct response actions will not only grow your customer service, but it will also make your law firm competitive.
Dealing with a Negative Customer Feedback
Negative comments can cripple your practice, especially if you have just a few reviews. It’s even worse if you let them go without a viable response. You can’t afford to let the wounds fester! Addressing these reviews shouldn’t be difficult, and you can use it as an opportunity to market your brand.
Remember that the reply isn’t just for the specific viewer; you’ll be speaking to a whole lot of potential clients. Replying shows your willingness and efforts to make things right and shows other customers that you’re keen on feedback.
The best reaction, in this case, should be a quick and strategic one. Here are the primary steps that you should follow.
- Stay calm – Reading through a negative review isn’t simple, and it may feel unfair. The author may use a personal, harsh, or condescending tone, which can attract an emotional response. The best step would be to take a moment before responding.
- Have a plan – You should always anticipate negative sentiments, so a bit of preparation will help. You may create standard responses, but be careful never to repeat an answer. Your reply must be contextual. Nicely prepared responses can help address the heat of the moment.
- Own the problem – A negative review communicates a customer’s bad experience, even though the customer might be the problem. Begin with apologizing for the experience, even if it isn’t your firm’s fault. If you’re on the wrong, admit to the fault, then suggest practical solutions to the problem.
- Short responses work – Avoid lengthy responses, and keep it short and sweet. Even if the reviewer insults you, never get personal with your reply. Stay calm, polite, and professional till you find the solution.
Avoid lengthy discussions – No one wants to go through long discussions between a dissatisfied client and the law firm. The interaction should be solution-focused, aiming to fix the issue as soon as possible. - Take it offline – If a customer shares their bad experience that you can solve, try reaching out to them outside the review platform. You can respond by notifying them that you’ve reached out to them personally, but everything else should be offline.
Dealing with a Positive Client Review
Nothing gets any better than a customer’s glowing 5-star review, right? Actually, it gets even better if you leave a response on the positive remark. Responding to a positive review is polite and can help you boost your customer relationships and brand identity.
Remember, everyone will view the sentiments, so the positive conversations about your practice can do wonders for your practice. Responding to a positive review also optimizes the review on search engines, hence a better SEO ranking.
So how do you respond to the excellent rating and comment by a client? Here are the best practices:
- Appreciation – It’s polite to thank the customer for their positive review and appreciate something specific that they mentioned. This way, they’ll know that a real person has responded, and they might be willing to continue engaging with your agency.
- Optimize your response – When responding, be sure to include your legal practice’s name, location, category, and the relevant keywords. This will optimize the positive review for SEO.
- A little marketing won’t hurt – The review and the subsequent response are open for public viewing, so don’t hesitate to sell yourself a little! Mention something you did to enhance their experience or a new promotion that they’ll find attractive. “Did you know that we offer free legal consultations?”
- Use a call to action – It’s essential to prompt a particular action in your response. You may ask the client to visit again whenever they need legal guidance or spread the word.
Expert Guidance to Build a Better Customer Experience
It’s not easy to address all reviews, use them as a marketing strategy, and boost customer experience simultaneously. You also need time and resources focused on core business. A reliable law firm marketing expert will help you get the most out of both positive and negative reviews and use the insights to grow your business.
Consultweb is the agency to help you boost your customer’s digital experience with your law firm. We’ll deliver measurable results and a more responsive customer experience. Reach out if you have questions, or request a custom quote from us today.
