There is one simple technique to get more reviews.
Ask for them!
If you end every transaction with your customers by asking for a positive review you will start getting more. But there are a few tricks to make sure you get the reviews you reviews you want, and get more of them.
USE A SIMPLE SCRIPT
When we ran our small used-car dealership we had a basic script we used as we wrapped up the sale and sent our happy customers off with their new car. It went something like this:
“I hope you had a great experience here. But if there is anything you feel we can do to make the experience better please let us know! If you thought we did a good job please let your friends and family know, and please leave us a review on Google!”
More often than not we got the response “well I wish it had been cheaper! But overall this was the easiest car buying experience I ever had”.
THEN FOLLOW UP
At the end of every transaction, as we were filling out and filing our paperwork, we would hand write a thank you note and send it to the customer. In the note we would remind them that we loved good reviews, and told them to text us if they couldn’t figure out how to leave a review.
This process worked for a couple reasons.
- We had planted the seed to get the review at the best part of the transaction, when they were about to drive off with their new car!
- By asking if there was anything we could do to improve our service, it gave them a chance to vent any frustrations in the moment and in private.
- By the time they got home they were usually too busy to remember to log onto Google and leave a review. But by sending a physical thank you card it arrived at a time when they were more likely to have a minute to grab their phone and leave a review. And few people send physical thank you notes these days, so it really stood out from the 100 emails or texts they get every day.
Once we implemented this technique the number of reviews we got went way up. And they were all 5 star.
Don’t expect to get a review from every customer, but the customers that had a great experience will usually go out of their way to leave a good review.
DID WE MENTION IT’S FREE!?!
If you’re a contractor or provide a service like painting, detailing, or car repairs, give this simple strategy a try. It doesn’t cost anything more than a few minutes of your time, and a box or cards and stamps.
