Client reviews can have a huge impact on any business.
Think about it — how often have you read client reviews to decide where to visit, what to do, or even what products to buy?
I know I use them to make a lot of decisions.
- 94% of consumers say a bad review has convinced them to avoid a business. (Source)
- 25% of consumers say a company they reviewed never even responded.
94% is a huge number.
Emerging (small) businesses can’t afford that kind of negative impact.
So, it’s important to understand the different types of reviewers out there:
- The Evangelists. They love your business and share it with people in the circle of influence.
- The Saddie. They like your business, but are sad about a current, negative experience.
- The Meanie. They are never satisfied and even when they are satisfied, they refuse to let you know it.
- The Helper. They want to share their experiences, both good and bad, to help others.
- The Sandbagger. They are an angry/former employee, competitor, etc.
Each has their own agenda for writing a review — and each requires a different approach to diffuse the situation.
The Evangelists
They will share and post goodwill about your business all day long. Don’t take it for granted.
Stay connected to them and constantly get their feedback and ideas about the business (remember issue # on SMS surveys).
That feedback will go a long way to improve your business and help others want to do business with you.
The Saddie
This person might write a review simply because they had one bad experience and are too shy (or just don’t like confrontation) so they didn’t mention it in the store.
You might recognize them as a 4-star review that reads:
The service here is normally great, but this one time…….
Saddies will often allow you to correct the issue and make them happy again.
