G+Local Reviews Guide

[ryan.leslie]

Wow! This is the most complete posting on G+ Reviews I've ever seen and well worth the read for any dealer or vendor that wants to be up to date on the topic:

The Complete Guide to Google+Local Reviews - and Especially How to Get Them | LocalVisibilitySystem.com

Here are just a few of the highlights, but there is a ton of good info here:

• Yes, customers must have Google+ accounts in order to write a review. Having a Gmail account isn’t enough (it needs to be “upgraded” to a Google+ account). That also means customers can’t leave anonymous reviews; they need to be under customers’ real names.
• A few of the factors that matter to the “review filter” seem to be: whether customers try to post reviews at an unnatural pace, how many reviews a given person has written previously, the wording of the review, and the user’s location (IP address). We don’t know exactly what factors Google’s review filters consider, or which matter the most. But you do need to know that Google has the facts on your business’s review-gathering activity and each customer’s review-posting behavior – and Google can take a lot into account when deciding which reviews to toss versus keep.
• Smartphone users need the Google+Local app, and they must navigate to your listing through the app. Even if they have the app, they won’t see the “Write a review” button on your Google+Local listing if they navigate to it through their mobile browsers or by scanning a QR code.
• “Review stations” are not OK.

The author offers a section titled "Best practices for asking for reviews" where these two gems are found:

• Do NOT delegate the requesting of the reviews to someone out-of-house. It’s fine if your employee or receptionist does it, but the best is for the head honcho to be the one to ask.
• When possible, try not to give customers the direct link to your Google+Local page. Google most likely knows the referring URL – the page your customers were on before they came to your business’s listing. It’s also likely that Google will start filtering some reviews if it looks as though nobody’s writing them spontaneously and as though you’re pressuring them.

This is a very astute observation and one I think any dealer considering an outsourced solution needs to carefully consider. If every potential reviewer is filtered based on what they are likely to say through a pre-screening process and only the most likely to be positive reviews are given a link to follow, you are leaving tracks that are certain to look unnatural to Google. How long can you expect for those reviews to remain on your G+ page?

Take the 5 minutes to read this post, it is time well spent.

 

[yagoparamo]

Ryan,

How do you feel about systems like Surecritic that call service customers for CSI and build an online database with their answers?

 

[ryan.leslie]

How do I feel? I'm really opinionated about this topic, but I know my feelings don't really matter. I try to take off my "in the business" hat and think like a consumer.

Honestly, I don't know a lot about SureCritic's business model. I've had pleasant dialogue with some of their team on another forum and don't have anything against them personally, but I think it is awfully difficult for any company to play to both the dealer and consumer's interests in this regard. In other words, how 3rd party are you really if you are the one soliciting reviews? What little I know of SureCritic is that they are making outbound solicitations for content on behalf of the dealers that pay them. I think consumers might find that to be a conflict of interest, right?

The problem that I have with any "Verified Customer" collection strategy is that it tells only part of the story that is important to a consumer, and even MORE important to a business owner. Both groups should want to hear from those that had opportunity to buy from you and chose NOT to do so. As a consumer that is the most valuable content to help frame my decision to visit you or not. I spoke at the GNYADA last month and shared 5 slides of negative reviews from customers that were in the dealership and chose not to buy. They all referenced an immediate bump from the advertised price that caused them to walk. If you are only soliciting those that bought, how do you adjust processes, or personnel, that are costing you business? You only hear from those that bought, seldom from those that didn't.

Personally, I'm not a fan of any automation that removes the dealer from the process. So much of the lasting benefit of a "review culture" is lost when the team is insulated from asking for reviews. They don't understand that this customer's great experience and subsequent review is the next customer's impetus to ask for them by name.

Sorry, but I reject the "do what you do best and sell cars while we handle your reviews and reputation" concept. This is a people business first and foremost. What you better do best is customer service and satisfaction!

Let me finish with this: You asked what I thought, but I want you to see what a few Sales Professionals on the front lines had to say about the importance of their reviews to their business. Their opinion is worth much more than mine, and I don't believe this kind of passion and "buy-in" comes from an outsourced solicitation of any kind. (these are promotional videos, don't let that distract you, but they were not scripted in any way)

 

[ryan.leslie]