As a business owner or manager, you want to continuously grow the number of reviews your center has online. More than 90% of 18- to 34-year-olds trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Many new parents turn to friends, family and online reviews to decide which child care solution is right for them.
These parents are not only reading your clients’ words – they’re also looking at your responses to the good, the bad and the ugly. How you respond to all types of reviews says a lot about how you operate your center.
Check your Facebook page and Google My Business account on a weekly basis for new reviews. When you receive a new review, use these tips to show your current families you appreciate the time they took to leave a review and make a good first impression on potential clients.
Respond Quickly
Timely responses to your newest reviews (which display first) show that your center cares what your customers have to say. A quick message lets the reviewer know that you’re interested in learning from their experience to make your daycare better. If you don’t have time to write a full reply, leave a simple message:
“Hi Kathy, Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I would love to discuss this in person when you drop James off on Friday.”
This also shows potential clients that you’re involved in the day-to-day activities of your center.
Be Kind
The internet can get out of hand quickly. This is just one online platform where the motto “treat others how you’d like to be treated” applies. Mitigate any hurt feeling right from the get-go by answering with kindness and understanding.
Share Your Success
Reviews are a powerful tool for your child care business. Make the most of customers’ thoughts by sharing them.
- Make sure your employees know what parents are saying about your center. A positive review of a specific teacher or assistant should be rewarded. A negative review is an opportunity to make your business better.
- Share positive reviews on social media and your website to help them reach a broader audience. This could even encourage another customer to leave a review.
Tip: Get more online reviews with these 5 ideas.
Respond to Negative Reviews
As a business owner, you will run into an unhappy customer at some point. How you handle their comments impacts not only your relationship with this specific customer but with future clients as well. Keep these things in mind when responding to a negative review:
Take a Minute
Reading a negative review of your business doesn’t feel good. Read the review a second time and take a deep breath. Then, talk to staff and students who may have better insight into the situation that led to the negative review.
Move the Conversation Offline
You don’t need to expose the details of the situation in the comments section. Respond promptly to the comment and let the reviewer know how they can contact you. You might prefer a face-to-face meeting but a phone call is a good start.
Set Clear Expectations
Do not make promises you can’t deliver. Remember, your response will be in writing for all future clients to draw conclusions from. Be transparent about the actions you plan to take so all parties involved know how you’re handling the situation.
