Let’s say you’re going into a city to try a new restaurant. Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few options, how will you decide where to go? For many people, the answer is by looking at reviews online. The same is true when they’re deciding which auto dealership to buy their next car from. Potential customers tend to trust a business more when they have positive online reviews. More good reviews often lead to more customers. Reviews also influence your dealership’s business listings, so don’t underestimate their importance.
The question is how do you get more positive reviews? The best way is to ask for a review while a customer is waiting for their new purchase. Just asking your customers to write a review will encourage about 7/10 of them to write one. Most people don’t think about writing a review until they’re asked to. That’s why providing a spot on your website to post reviews is important. Adding a link to post a review in emails your dealership sends out is also a great way to give customers a reminder to write a review. Whatever your strategy is, make sure to give customers an idea of what to write about. Feedback can cover topics like your dealership’s customer service, their satisfaction with their new vehicle, or ideas to improve the way you run your dealership. In response, reviews might contain suggestions, praise, or criticism.
Asking customers to post their opinions about your dealership might result in some negative reviews. People often talk more about negative experiences than positive ones. Make sure that your dealership does not argue with a customer. However, you shouldn’t ignore negative comments either. There has to be a reason that someone has a bad opinion of your dealership, so make sure that you’re considering what they have to say. Maybe you need to change something about how you operate or improve your customer service. In the end, you should reply kindly to the negative review even if you don’t agree with the customers’ analysis of your business. When people see your responses to good and bad reviews, they will appreciate that you care and respect what your customers think.
There are many different ways that people can access reviews of your dealership, and you should be monitoring them all. Some include your own website, third-party websites like Yelp, social media platforms, and Google reviews. Each of these has an impact on your business. For example, excellent reviews on Google could improve your dealership’s Google ranking. Good reviews also build goodwill with your potential and current customers. Since people trust online reviews almost as much as in-person recommendations, your dealership should have a strategy that inspires pleased customers to leave reviews. Positive reviews give people a chance to trust your business and its quality before they even walk into your dealership.
Reviews can be a powerful factor in helping your dealership online. Don’t take the reviews for granted. Make sure you have a policy to get reviews and act on those that deserve your attention.