How to Get Reviews from Raving Clients

As many of us know, getting quality reviews on Google, Facebook, Angie's List, Houzz, and dozens of other platforms impacts the buying public’s perception of your business. Perception is reality for many people, so when it comes to getting reviews, collecting positive reviews can make a positive impression on a new client, which translates to business growth over time.

Believe it or not, getting positive reviews starts with the sales process. First, clearly define the clients’ expectations, then deliver an outstanding customer experience. Ultimately, clients should feel so excited about working with your business that they want to tell everyone about their positive experience.

Start with the Discovery Process

Let’s start with the initial connection with a client: whether it's by phone, email, or a face-to-face meeting. Does the client's interaction with you feel professional and welcoming? Do you sound knowledgeable? Are you actively listening to their story?

Ask questions about their current situation, needs, and their vision for the future. What pain points are they dealing with at their home or business?  Get to know the client and develop a fine-tuned understanding of what it would take to make this client very happy.

Customer Journey and Experience

Believe it or not, the customer journey is critical to getting positive reviews using a series of small buy-ins and celebrated wins along the way to completing a project.
 
For instance, if a client is remodeling their kitchen, they first meet with the kitchen designer to learn about products and options. If the designer has built trust with the client during the initial meeting, the process moves forward, a kitchen design is created, and a budget for cabinetry, countertops, and hardware is developed. Once approved, the order is placed, and the cabinetry is delivered weeks later.  There are many client interactions within the kitchen design process so the above is a brief example of a buy-in.

Remodeling a kitchen includes a lot of related factors, such as electrical, plumbing, appliances, and flooring. A general contractor coordinates the remodeling process, including moving or removing walls, installing cabinetry/countertops, and managing subcontractors.

For the client homeowner, their kitchen has been “Out of Order” for weeks, which is disruptive to their morning and evening schedules, plus weekend gatherings.  If the kitchen designer can make the kitchen renovation process more enjoyable for the client homeowner, a spontaneous positive review is likely.

Review Request Timing

If you’re the kitchen designer, when is it best to email/text the client with a review request? When the cabinets are ordered, when the cabinets are delivered, or when the kitchen is complete?

If you're the general contractor, working seamlessly with the kitchen designer and subcontractors to keep the renovation moving forward, coupled with an orderly work site and great communications, should result in a positive review. The general contractor will likely send a review request when the kitchen is finished and cleaned.

The timing of the Review Request is critical to getting a positive review.

Factors that Impact Positive Reviews

1. The client doesn’t feel heard, so the experience isn’t worth raving about.
2. Was the experience a transaction, like purchasing at a store, or was it a positive relationship experience to solve a problem?
3. Did the client receive frequent communication from the kitchen designer during the process and after the cabinetry was delivered?
4. Did the kitchen designer deliver an experience that exceeded the client's expectations discussed during the discovery meeting?
5. Can the kitchen designer provide tips for navigating the kitchen remodel process that goes beyond the design and sale of the products? 
    
     Pro Tip: Possible ideas may include microwave cooking tips, how to store kitchen items during the build process, off-site storage solutions, discounts with local restaurants, etc.  These ideas can be shared through a series of email automations to coincide with the state of the sale.
   
   
6. Is there a follow-up process with the client and contractor to answer product or installation questions and stay in touch with the client throughout the entire kitchen redesign and installation process?
   
   

Review Request and Reputation Management Software

There is a lot of review and reputation software available to streamline the Review Request process and continue a positive experience with a client. Look for the following features:

1. Does the software use email or text to send review requests?
2. Can you request reviews for Google, Facebook, Angie's List, Houzz, and more?
3. Will the software automatically alternate between review platforms so that positive reviews show up on multiple websites?
4. Can the reputation management software be AI programmed to automatically respond to positive reviews?
5. Is it possible to place a reviews widget on your website to automatically show the most current reviews? Can this widget be styled to fit your branding? Are there different widget design layouts?
6. Can the software automatically follow up with clients who didn’t respond to an earlier review request?
7. Is it simple to set up and to request a review from a client?
8. Can a QR code be created to spur a fast review from a client?
9. Is there automatic spam detection built in?
   
   

Our Reviews and Reputation Management software on Accelerator-Pro offers all these tools and more to help you send timely review requests.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have reviews from old clients, a review request can still be emailed or texted to them. All that is needed for requesting reviews from past clients is your client’s contact information. This simple step may cause the past client to once again share a positive story of their experience with your company, which could result in boosted sales.

Getting Reviews: Next Steps

Getting great reviews from clients comes from creating a rave-worthy experience for your clients.  The right strategy, timing, and software make all the difference when it comes to getting reviews from ecstatic clients.

If your review request process is not producing the results you want, reach out to us.  We can get started fast with our Reviews and Reputation Management Software and Strategy.  Email us at design@gcmd.agnecy or give us a call at 207-464-0016.