Does requesting online reviews from your clients scare you? Are you afraid you’ll receive a negative review and not know how to respond? Online reviews aren’t something you need to fear, but you do need to know how to successfully navigate them.
How Important Are Online Reviews?
A good reputation is vital for your care company to draw in new clients and caregivers, and that reputation is chiefly built through online reviews. According to BrightLocal’s 2022 Consumer Review Survey:
- In 2021, 77% of survey participants, up from 60% in 2020, said they routinely read online reviews when researching local businesses.
- 83% of survey participants said that reviews for care services play an important role in their decisions, while 82% said that health care reviews play an important part in decisions: meaning people value care service reviews as much as those for health care.
How Do You Handle Negative Reviews?
Consumers do not expect your agency to have all 5-star ratings. As a matter of fact, only 4% of consumers state that they would only use a business with all 5-star ratings. No business is perfect, and it looks suspicious if a company has only 5-star ratings.
Receiving a couple of negative online reviews gives you the chance to respond to the criticism while showing that your company listens to its clients and staff. According to the survey, 80% of participants stated that they would be likely to change a review if their negative experience was changed into a positive one as a result of steps taken by the company.
The key is to respond in a timely manner to negative reviews as well as positive ones. This allows you to:
- Show that you’re listening
- Thank the reviewer
- Explain how the problem is being addressed
We Can Help!
Our senior care marketing team is here to help you both obtain and respond to reviews. To learn more, or for details about the MOST Marketing Program and how it can help grow your home care business, contact us online or call 800.370.6580.