An Educated Consumer is Your Best Customer
Posted by jdoyle in Customer Service,Social Media | June 7, 2012
Ah, the problem of the internet can actually turn out to be the beauty of the internet all the same. We have been active in social channels for close to four years now. One of the biggest hurdles we have had to overcome is negative reviews posted by unidentifiable sources. The folks that are open and identify themselves make it easy for us to respond, apologize and state our intention of making things right. When we respond to those that are looking to be helped we now have the ability to address the issues and make sure the customer is satisfied. It is very powerful when this exchange can take place and others are able to see that exchange. The anonymous complaints are rarely ever identified and our follow up responses never get replied to. Alure President/CEO Sal Ferro discusses our approach more in this video.
We recently had a situation where negative online reviews played a huge role in us winning business.
A potential client was getting multiple estimates for siding and roofing on their home. Once they made a decision to hire Alure for the work, they politely informed the other remodelers that they chose us. One competitor decided to follow it up with an email that included some anonymous negative reviews about Alure in an effort to make the client feel uneasy about their decision. The clients response is an example of the opportunity consumers have to do some research, take the time to educate themselves, and do not believe everything they see.
Our competitors email had some screen shots and included the following text:
Mrs. Almost Customer,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me this evening.
Here is a link explaining real customers experiences with Alure. As you can see they don’t have the best reputation in the business.
The customers response to our competitor was filled with his very own discovery on the internet that refuted the negative comments supplied by this other firm and a more detailed explanation for choosing Alure. Some of the better lines were:
“First let me say that as a new company getting started in this business or any business for that matter, it is not advisable to disparage or knock a competing company to prospective clients…”
“For every negative review I found online about Alure, I can provide 10 positive reviews. Yes [insert competitors name here], I did my homework.”
“I hope this helps you understand what a potential client looks for in a contractor.”
I had the pleasure of meeting Ted Rubin recently, he uses the phrase Return on Relationships and that is our philosophy across our entire business, not just our actions on the internet. We intend to thrill every customer and if we somehow fall short, we welcome the opportunity to make things right. Ted provided me with a great quote when we met, “Haters hate, critics provide valuable input”. Online reviews are very powerful as many consumers look for feedback from like-minded people and make decisions based on those experiences. The real challenge is identifying what is real and what isn’t. We are thankful these clients chose to educate themselves.
Do you find online reviews useful? If so, does it matter to you if the reviewer identifies themselves in such a way that lends to credibility?
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About the Author – jdoyle
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Online reviews are very helpful. Sure there are mixed reviews all the time, but after further research the underlying truth comes out eventually.