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Getting those reviews!

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CFrentzen

CFrentzen

Boss
Apr 24, 2009
172
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First Name
Chris
#1
Whether it's Google, Yelp, Dealerrater, Emunds, or what have you, we all know honest positive reviews are a huge plus to have littered around the internet. What do you do to grab them?

Currently I'm in the works of building a template email to be sent out to all service customers. I'll be tweaking it for sold customers as well. My thoughts are to include a deal on their next service with us if they leave us with an honest review. The question of "what if they leave you a negative review?" comes to mind...well, we want those too, don't we? (rhetorical). Do we redirect them back to us for direct contact if they weren't completely satisfied?

Another question comes to mind - tracking reviews. We need proof that the customer actually wrote the review - how do we know "snowdog" is James Vanderbeek? Do we ask for a link from the customer emailed back to us? My gut reaction is that might be too much to ask for a customer to do. I would do it for money off my next service, but technology/computers/the internet doesn't scare me.

Also thinking perhaps giving more of a bonus for specific sites. Edmunds/Dealerrater require you to have a login - leaving a review on Google doesn't. Maybe 5$ off for a Google review, 10$ off for an Edmunds/Dealerrater/Yelp review? Has anyone tried this?

Will post more thoughts as they come.
 
#2
My company is using dealerrater.com and moving in to social networks.

I don't think you have to give anything to customers to leave feedback. We have success with our finance managers handing out dealerrater cards after customers are contracted. Salespeople and myself as a nternet manager will ask customers to leave feedback. When asked, most will leave feedback. We offer nothing in return.
 
#3
Here is a copy of what some of the dealers I consult with send out after the sale...been working good. I also don't believe in offering anything for positive reviews.

-----------
Hi, my name is #GenManagerName#, General Manager at #Dealer#. I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you for your recent purchase, and to make sure that your experience left you completely satisfied. I know that buying a vehicle can be quite overwhelming - I trust that the experience at #Dealer# was world class.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your salesperson #SalesName# at #DealerNumber#, or feel free to contact me directly.

I would also ask that you share your positive experience with at least one of the online ratings sites below (links below). And, if your experience was not positive, you will give me a chance to correct it.

Thanks again for your purchase. We look forward to serving all your future automobile needs.

#GenManagerName#
#DealerNumber#
#Dealer#
#DealerURL#

Please click a link:

#Google#

#DealerRater#

#Edmunds#

#Yahoo#
 
#4
I have to of course second Dan on this. From my experience, there is no real need to incentive the customer to leave a review. Will it possibly get you a few more reviews... but at what cost?

I think you also run the risk of someone typing in the review that they were encouraged to leave this review in order to receive a $10 gift card...This will throw up question around every other positive post and there goes your hard work down the drain.

Find every touch point in the dealer that you can ask the customer to review. Hand every customer a "social/review" card asking the customer to review their experience on each one of the sites you are participating in.

I have a dealer that has well over 250 reviews in 9 months, and they have NEVER had to solicit for a review with an incentive.

Instead, use that $10 to help smooth over a negative review!
 
#5
Great responses, thank you all.

I was thinking that as I walked away after I posted this that I don't think we're asking for reviews and that people may do it simply because they're asked to.

Thank you Drew for the copy - it's much appreciated.
 
#6
I concur with no need to incentivize the customer to leaving a review. We just signed up with dealerrater.com about 2.5 weeks ago and we already have close to 30 reviews. I have truly been amazed at how willing customers are to say good things about you if you treat them well.

We hand out our dealerrater cards to our customers and follow up with an email template that takes them directly to the review page. This helps tremendously with getting more feedback. It just takes a few clicks and done.

Also, one thing that is helping us is that we are certified and can have salespeople with their own dealerrater review page. I will be placing all of our salespeople on our websites on our "Meet our Team" section with the salesperson's information. Along with their info, I will be including a link to the sound of "See what other people are saying about Susie Salesperson" which takes them to the DR page.

This has helped getting buy in from our sales team since they have their own review page on DR.
I am excited to leverage not only DR, but other sites out there!
 
#7
One of the most successful practices we encourage is a follow up email to ask for a review. However, groundwork needs to be laid prior to this email going out for the best return. While the customer is in front of you, ask them if they would help you out by writing a review of their experience when they get home. Once they give you the verbal commitment you can then follow up with an email a day or two later (if they haven't written one yet) along the lines of "<paraphrasing>Thank you again for purchasing/servicing your car at XXXXX Dealer, we appreciate your business, etc... As I may have mentioned before we are a DealerRater.com Certified Dealer and we strive for excellent customer service. I've included the link below to take you directly to the survey form. If you enjoyed your experience would you please mind taking two minutes to write a little bit about your experience at the link below.</paraphrasing>"

One of the templates also includes an out if the customer does not feel as though they received good customer service or had a negative experience... "<paraphrasing>If you enjoyed your experience, please write a review.</paraphrasing> If you did not share this experience, please contact Joe Manager at 800-555-1212 so that we may rectify the situation immediately."

But the verbal commitment is key as you can call back on that "commitment" when communicating with the customer.

Nothing monetary should need to be given to a customer to get them to write a review. And with the new laws in place, if they don't disclose the fact they were compensated in some way for the review, the DEALER is the one who gets in trouble.

Chip-
 
#8
Chip Grueter said:
Nothing monetary should need to be given to a customer to get them to write a review. And with the new laws in place, if they don't disclose the fact they were compensated in some way for the review, the DEALER is the one who gets in trouble.

Chip-
Click to expand...

That's the part I was wondering about while reading this thread. Thanks for summing that up Chip :thumbup:
 
#9
Chip Grueter said:
While the customer is in front of you, ask them if they would help you out by writing a review of their experience when they get home.
Click to expand...

"Get home" is the key phrase there. Do not have the customer do it at your dealership. Would you like to tell them what happens when a bunch of reviews come in from the same IP address Chip?

Here's the Phone-up Ninja Template for reputation management: Reputation Management e-mail
 
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