This Month: In-House Reviews
In this month’s edition of “Ask A Reputation Manager,” we spoke with Artise, who is a very important member of our in-house reputation management team because we had some questions about in-house reviews. Artise sat down with us to teach us a little bit about in-house reviews, what they are, how to get them, and how helpful they can be for businesses.
About Artise
Superstar reputation manager, Artise, has been working with Top Rated Local® for about two years and, in his words, has “really found a home” in reputation management. He’s incredibly passionate about helping both businesses and their customers get the best use out of Top Rated Local and other review sites, and he utilizes his experience both working with businesses and being a customer to help his clients form a stellar online reputation.
What are in-house reviews?
“In house reviews are reviews that are generated in-house by the client, taking advantage of what I call the ‘you just finished my cool stuff’ effect, while customers are full of endorphins, happy, and want to express that happiness in some way. For example: say it’s a martial arts school. A student wants to leave a review because it’s the best martial arts school they’ve ever been to. That’s a good time to ask for an in-house review.”
So, should businesses ask for in-house reviews from every client, every time?
“No, and the reason I say that is because if a person wants to leave a review, it’s generally indicated in their tone. If they say, ‘Hey, you did a really great job and I wish there was a way that I could thank you,’ or something along those lines, that’s in-house review territory. If the guy is just like, ‘Hey, thanks for the job,’ you don’t really want them to leave a review. Obviously, when someone hasn’t had the world’s greatest experience, the last thing you want them to do is leave a review. That’d be a big no-no.”
What makes this an effective approach to getting reviews?
“The most immediate thing is the double-pronged approach — you’re requesting a review right then and there and taking the secondary opportunity to send an email requesting a review. Then, of course, there’s the endorphin effect. That makes people even more likely to leave positive reviews. Particularly with service clients, acting quickly is going to give you a much better chance of a review.”
Are there certain industries in particular that can benefit from in-house reviews?
Service industries, definitely, almost exclusively. That, and anyone who’s client-facing. The higher priced the service is, the more it starts to wean in effectiveness. HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work can particularly benefit from in-house reviews.
Can you tell us a few things that most people don’t know about in-house reviews?
“For one, most people don’t know how easy it can be to set up for your business if you have the right tools (like a solid reputation manager through Top Rated Local). Also, people don’t know that in-house reviews have a really high rate of success, especially compared to an email campaign. The reason is simply that you’re in front of their face. If you ask somebody to their face to leave a review, chances are, they aren’t going to leave you one star reviews. Just that alone makes it worth the effort, even if you’re not a social person.”
What else should we know?
In-house reviews have already been shown to boost the amount of reviews businesses receive, versus the standard email method. I would say a lot of my clients are pleasantly surprised by how effective they are. I think they assume that if the opportunity for a review is available, it’ll just present itself. But, that’s not the case. It’s absolutely not the case. Mostly, that’s because customers don’t think like business owners. They simply want to get the job done and get out, unless you change the conversation by asking for a review.
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