By Chris Keenan on December 15, 2016
Reviews are an important source of information for potential customers to see how reputable your pest control business is. Many times, reviews can really be the difference between a customer using your business or going elsewhere.
Now, getting reviews from customers is easier said than done, but there are ways to ensure your customers are giving both positive and negative feedback to you. Here are five ways in which you can gather reviews from your pest control customers:
This approach works more-so if you have a storefront, but can also be finagled if you are a virtual based business. Asking customers to fill out a review and putting it in a jar for a drawing and a chance to win a prize or discount can be a way to get customers to give their honest feedback. If you are virtual, creating a poll review can also be done with the same idea of a prize drawing behind it.
Note: Contests done on social media platforms have rules in which you must follow, such as how you collect data and what you can request users to do to enter the contest. Also, some contests require winners to state that they were given x in exchange for an honest review.
New technologies such as Square have come out which make the review process a lot easier. If your pest control company provides a smartphone with credit card capabilities, such as an adaptable card swipe that allows you to process the sale right there, then Square then sends the receipt straight to the customers email address?along with a chance to review the company. Sometimes, when giving paper receipts, people lose them, don’t remember to write their review or just don’t wish to be bothered, but putting everything in one spot increases the chance of a review.
People like having their name out there (in a positive light) so asking customers for reviews and offering them a spot on your review section of your website or social media page can be the ticket to getting a stellar review. It not only helps you, but it also makes the customer who provided the review feel important which could lead to them referring your business to their friends and family.
Many customers feel awkward giving reviews if they know they are being seen or can be tracked when giving the review. Sometimes, the easiest way to get reviews is to provide anonymity with them. Now, storefronts have it a little harder with the old fashioned paper reviews, but placing it out of sight can allow customers to review in private. Virtual based businesses can also offer anonymous reviews which can also lead to more people wishing to review without fearing the repercussions of having their identity out there for the owner to see.
This may not seem like the best approach, but sometimes the easiest people to reach out to for reviews are those you know best. Now, you have to stress that an honest opinion is best because most friends and family or loyal customers would be inclined to always give five stars which obviously helps the reviews but doesn’t help the owner improve their craft. This approach should only be used in a pinch where you truly need the reviews, but can’t seem to gather them easily.
Although you can ask customers for reviews, it does not always mean you will get them, but these approaches may yield better results than simply just asking.
Chris Keenan WeGetLeads.com
Chris Keenan is President of WeGetLeads.com, a search marketing and lead generation provider. He has over 10 years experience marketing and consulting for local businesses.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wegetleads/