Support each other with Product and Service Reviews!

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Have you recently been given a delicious cookie to try? Received a generous door prize? Eaten excellent catering? Received a free product sample? Enjoyed a beautiful location? Had an enjoyable experience working with someone? You can use free tools to give back some mighty love to those people that worked hard to give to you!

Why Write Reviews?
Why should you spend your precious time giving reviews? It’s simple, YOU need reviews for your business as well! Customers do read reviews. Those that give them usually get them back with gratitude.

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"84% of people trust online reviews just as much as a personal recommendation. 68% of consumers form an opinion
​by reading just 1-6 reviews.”
(broadly.com)

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Facebook Reviews
Facebook reviews are social gold! Facebook and Linkedin recommendations are powerful endorsements. When customers publicly recommend you in a Group, it will appear on your Page for all to see.” (Facebook) It can’t be edited or deleted by the page owner, so it is an honest review (and not made up.) It can be used by the page owner in making a custom graphic or posting on the website. It is your review and you can use it.

Private Reviews
Don’t love the idea of your opinion being permanently placed on someone’s page for the world to see? Write your review and send it in a private message or email and give your permission for them to use it as they see fit.​

Video Record Your Review
Support your cyber neighbor by making a Facebook Live or Instagram TV, visiting the store or restaurant, demonstrating the product or praising the service and tag back to the company, This always instigates conversation. This is visible to everyone on both of your friends and followers lists! It is also very fast and no typing or grammar required! Be sure to give permission to the business to use quotes from your video on their media.

Words to Use
You may ask yourself, “What words are best to use when writing a review?” When doing your review, consider your adjectives. “Good,” “great,” and “awesome” are used frequently in reviews. How can you “WOW” yours up to be more valuable to the business you are reviewing? Using some of these adjectives in your personal account.

Good vs. Excellent Descriptive Words

absolutely, beyond a doubt, exactly, positively, unquestionably, willingly, without fail, accomplished, exceptional, first-rate, outstanding, top-notch, brilliant…
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...and alert, bright, capable, competent, effortless, proficient, prepared, deserving, superior, valuable wonderful, masterful, sharp, superior, cutting-edge and impressive.

Formula for writing a review
​Here is a quick formula (who has time to over-think this?) to use when starting a review. Just copy and paste. Then fill in the information from your personal experience.

​How to write a good SERVICE review
I came to (business) with (problem/issue/challenge.) The (staff/business) did (excellent customer service) to help me get what I needed to (solve problem). I had a great experience because I was able to (result of good service). I highly recommend (business) for (service).

How to write a good PRODUCT review
Recently, I (purchased) (item) from (business). My (item) arrived as promised and (met/exceeded) my expectations by (result/improvement by using product). I am so glad I chose (business) and and will definitely purchase (item) in the future!

Positive Reviews for Positive Change
Let’s face it, there is a lot of negativity in the world and bad service experiences as customers. Try to remember there are actual humans on the end of the review or survey of your experience.  If you have a bad experience, contact the company directly. They will be able to compensate or address your issue personally.

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“On average, a negative review can cost a company 30 customers.”
​(broadly.com) ​

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We can CHOOSE to focus on the positive and spread goodwill.
If you want to help your business college in business, focus on the positive, not the negative. You didn’t like the food, but the atmosphere was beautiful or the server was pleasant? Focus on that in your review. No need to lie or fabricate a fake “sunshiny” customer experience and lead people to a wrong impression when it was not that at all for you. Contact them directly if your experience is poor.

It costs nothing to be generous with your praise
Reviews and surveys are very important to the service community. So much that they build incentives and bonuses based on those to motivate great customer service. It is easy and free to give high rankings. However, people can be very stingy with their marks and don’t always want to give an “excellent” mark if things weren’t picture perfect. Much like school, they grade on a curve. Since when are things and people “perfect?”

One example is Jake (not his real name.) Jake ran a service that supplied big events. Jake’s customer, the boss, was very pleased and used words like “Excellent!” and “You really went over and beyond to take care of us!” and “We couldn’t be more pleased!” When it came to fill out the survey the company based all statistics upon, Jane, the staff member, not the boss, was the one to fill it out. She was not as generous with her ranking and caused them to receive a “B” rating for that event. Though they worked long hours and did what they felt was their very best customer service, the survey results cost them a bonus for him and his staff. Lack of appreciation can make people less motivated to serve with excellence in the future. ​

It only takes 5 minutes to leave a review or send a comment—maybe less! Use this easy formula to create your review and promote the praise worthy businesses and business owners who make our lives happier and our community exceptional!

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About the Author

Sarah Thurstenson is a graphic designer in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. She is married with two adult children and currently experiencing the strangeness of the empty nest. She has years of print and social media marketing experience. She would love the whole community to hold hands and work together to strengthen each others businesses and meet their goals.
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