Are you shy about asking for customer reviews? You’re not alone. Many pros, from interior designers to plumbers, are fearful of asking for feedback and testimonials on projects. Whether you’re reluctant to ask or simply get busy and forget, good customer reviews are essential for any company's marketing efforts.
According to the Better Business Bureau, almost 9 out of 10 consumers have looked at online reviews in the last 12 months to help them make a decision on a local business. Another survey says that about 95 percent of customers read reviews before making a purchase.
As you can see, adding customer reviews to your arsenal of marketing efforts is a must in today's digital world. Keep reading to learn how and when to ask for reviews and how to handle that dreaded negative feedback.
How to Ask Customers for Reviews
Showing prospects you're a skilled and trustworthy tradesperson will go a long way toward gaining new customers. But asking for customer reviews on Angi or social media sites like Facebook doesn’t need to be a painful experience.
How to Ask for Reviews in Person
One of the best ways to get customer reviews is to simply ask in person. Home builders and remodelers meet with their customers frequently during the job. Once you’ve established a rapport with customers, it’s much easier to ask for feedback and reviews.
If you’re new to asking for customer reviews, start with satisfied current customers who are likely to give a five-star rating. Ask for the feedback immediately after project completion so the details will be fresh in your customers’ minds.
Create a flyer to give to your customers after asking them for a review to increase your odds of getting the feedback. It should have your business information and a link to where they can make their review.
Here’s a sample in-person customer review script:
“I have a small favor to ask. We’re trying to grow our business and your feedback is important to us. Would you mind leaving us a review? It will only take a few minutes.”
How to Ask for Reviews Over Email
Asking for reviews online is similar to asking in person. You'll need an email address and an electronic email template that looks professional. Send a well-written letter to thank them for their business and ask for the review.
Email shines here because of the ability to provide links directly to the review site. For example, using your Angi account to link the "request a review" feature would be a safe bet to optimize your profile.
Here’s a sample email template for you to customize:
“Dear {NAME},
Thank you for the opportunity to work on your home repair project. It’s been our privilege to help make your dreams a reality.
We appreciate our customers’ feedback to improve our work. Please consider writing us a brief review about your experience. We welcome any suggestions as well to improve our processes and methods for our customers.
Leaving a review is easy and will just take a couple of minutes. Simply click on this link: [insert Angi review link].
Thank you for your time and your business!”
How to Ask for Reviews Over SMS
Much like asking for customer reviews via email, using SMS (texting) to gather feedback requires a little nuance. If you’ve communicated with your customer via SMS before, using text may be an efficient method. Steer clear of SMS if you’ve never texted with the client previously, as the intrusion on their phone can be annoying to some.
Asking for SMS customer reviews should include:
A brief and well-written message
The same professional style as email
A casual tone
A link to the customer review area
Your Angi ‘request a review’ function
Try this sample SMS template:
“Hi {first name}. Thank you for the opportunity to work on your home. We’d love feedback on your experience with {COMPANY NAME}. Would you take one minute to review us on Angi? Here’s the link: {link}. Thanks for your time!”
How to Ask for Reviews Over the Phone
Asking for customer reviews over the phone is like asking in person. If you’ve established a comfortable relationship with the client, then calling them for a follow-up is a great way to get the review. To make it easy for your customers, follow up with email or text with the link to your preferred review site.
Here’s a sample phone script:
“Hi {Name}! Thank you again for hiring us for {project}. I have a small favor to ask. We'd love to get a review from you about how we did in order to better our business. Could I follow up over email or text with a link to leave a review?”
How Not to Ask for a Review
We’ve already listed the best practices for asking for customer reviews. But there are some pitfalls to avoid when asking for feedback too.
Common sense applies here, but there are a few don'ts to keep in mind:
Don’t ask for positive reviews only
Don’t offer incentives or giveaways for a positive review
Don’t provide a hard-to-navigate review website
Don't use aggressive tactics like multiple follow-ups
Any of these don'ts could turn off customers from leaving a review. Or, they may leave bad comments or give poor recommendations to family and friends.
How to Handle Negative Reviews
Customer reviews are solely up to the person giving them. Client satisfaction levels vary, so negative reviews can happen to anyone. What should you do after receiving a bad review?
There are several proactive steps you can take to lessen the effect of a poor review:
Communicate with the customer as soon as possible
Acknowledge their grievance and apologize
Take the conversation offline by asking them to contact you via email, phone, or DM
Invite the customer to give your business another chance at a discount (or free, depending on the severity of the complaint)
Be authentic and personal in your response
Take responsibility: Don't affix blame or make excuses
Put the needs of the customer first
Those using Angi Pros can attempt to remove or dispute a negative review left on the Angi platform. You can contact customer care at 1-877-800-3177 to learn more.
Got a bad review? Here’s a sample script you can use:
“Dear [name]. Thank you for providing your feedback. We’re sorry we didn’t meet your expectations. We aim for 100 percent customer satisfaction every time and appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
Please reach out to [INSERT CONTACT INFORMATION] so we can talk further. We would love the chance to make things right.”
Let’s Review Asking for Customer Reviews
Whether you’re a general contractor or tree trimmer, asking for customer reviews is an important part of your business.
Positive assessments of your work from happy customers can establish trust with previous, present, and future customers. The methods vary but the benefits are the same: valuable feedback for operational improvements and more customers to grow your business.
