Such a big story behind such a little button

Our 'Leave a review' button is the key to so many benefits - for business and consumer alike - we decided to devote this post to them all. First, let's look at the way this client has described its function...

...we especially like this because it makes clear that leaving a review is so much more than just that. We have calculated that in over 5% of 'reviews' posted through HelpHound the 'reviewer' is consciously choosing to use it in preference to more conventional ways of communicating with the business (phone/email and so on). They are not 'complaining', in the strict sense of that word; often they are using their review as a way of establishing whether or not they in fact have cause for complaint, or (as is so often the case) there has been a misunderstanding which can now be resolved.

Examples (we'll use estate agency here, but the principles are the same for almost every business):

• tenants writing a review to query the return of their deposit
• landlords expressing disappointment with voids/rental returns
• purchasers/vendors expressing concerns over complex transactional issues

The process:

From the moment a customer clicks on the 'Leave a review' button HelpHound is involved...

1. The reviewer is shown a tailored review template
2. The reviewer completes their review
3. They hit the 'submit' button
4. The review is sent straight to HelpHound
5. HelpHound moderate the review
6. Reviews containing no contentious issues are published on the business's website (the business and the reviewer are both notified, simultaneously)
7. Reviews that contain potentially misleading or inaccurate content are referred to the business (again, the business and the the reviewer are notified)
8. The business engages with their customer - either via HelpHound or direct, the choice is theirs
9. HelpHound invite the reviewer to post their final review
10. The business responds to the published review

At which point HelpHound automatically asks the reviewer, on the business's behalf, to copy their review to Google.*

Results

For the overwhelming majority of businesses, who have an embedded culture of customer care, the results are reassuringly positive. They rarely score 100% (or 5 out of 5 in the world of reviews), but they also rarely score less than 90% (or 4.5 out of 5). The resulting scores and reviews themselves (which are read by prospective customers) present an accurate picture of the business and can be relied on as an accurate indicator by potential customers.

An analysis of an individual business's results*:

This demonstrates the effectiveness of HelpHound's moderation in enabling the business to welcome potentially damaging reviews whilst remaining as secure as they can be that those contain potentially misleading or inaccurate statements will at least be challenged pre-publication.

*Some readers will be wondering why the numbers of positive reviews drop post-moderation, albeit marginally. That is because some positive reviews contain errors too, and while our moderators will always ask a reviewer to post a final review, we cannot force them to!

So, to sum up, the 'Write a review button' is...

• Your business's key to getting great reviews; on your own website and on Google
• A great channel to further enhance your business's customer communications
• The key to eliminating 'fear' as a factor in review management

And on top of those three, there is much anecdotal evidence from our clients that their potential customers are seriously impressed when they point out that anyone can write a review of their business at any time.


Further reading:

• See a case history that embodies the benefits of this strategy here
• And another showing the measurable uplift in calls and website visits through Google