How to Respond to Online Insurance Reviews and Build a Solid Gold Reputation

With the tap of a few keys, consumers have a world of information at their fingertips. Today's consumer is taking advantage of the wealth of information at their disposal by using it to help them make better informed purchasing decisions, and consumer reviews have become a key part of this process. Estimates suggest that 95% of customers - in other words, practically all of them -consult online customer reviews before making a purchase.

For insurance agencies, online reviews are incredibly important. You're offering a product and service that consumers count on to protect themselves against events they hope never happen. Nobody wants to get sick, be in an automobile accident, or find themselves as the victim of a house fire, so if they're investing in your coverage, they want to make sure that you're reputable and trustworthy.

While more insurance companies are recognizing the importance of online reviews, many are still unclear on how to approach reputation management. Should you respond to reviews, and if so, should you focus on trying to rectify a not so great experience or put your efforts into engaging with those that are more likely to help you build your agency with positive word of mouth?

The answer is both, and it's important not only to respond to reviews online, but to respond to them in a way that signals to the insurance consumer that you're engaged, trustworthy, and committed to providing the best service possible. Here are a few best practices for responding to favorable, and not so favorable, reviews of your insurance business online.

Responding to Positive Reviews:

A great review is the ultimate pat on the back for your insurance business. It says that you've done something right and it's out there for the whole world to see. It's easy to see how positive reviews can help build your business, but too often 4 and 5 star reviews that are filled with accolades are taken for granted and not responded to.

This is a critical mistake because a customer shouldn't need to have a problem to capture your attention.

It's equally as important to respond to positive reviews as it is to respond to negative ones, although the process for doing so should be a little different - and easier. This is your chance to build on an already great experience and do it on a highly visible platform.

When responding to positive reviews, you want to be personal, but exercise caution in disclosing any personal details. For example, if Mary Smith left you a shining review you could begin the review with addressing her by name but leave out specific details of the customer experience unless she mentioned them in the review herself. You might have a very clear memory of helping Mary with her elderly mother's life insurance policy, but that doesn't mean she wants the entire world to know the details.

The best type of response to a positive review is one that is a personalized expression of gratitude. Using the above example, you might say something like "Mary, thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review. We're happy that we were able to help you with your insurance needs.". A response like this signals to the reader that you're taking the time to personally thank you customers rather than using a standard copied response.

Now is also a great time to offer an additional value or incentive for the customer that left you a review. For instance, you might make mention of services you offer that could be of use to them in the future, or even something like "Feel free to stop in any time in the future, have a cup of coffee, and let us make sure your policy is still the best fit for your needs.". The goal is to leave the customer relationship open to growth by establishing that you have even more value to offer.

Responding to Negative Reviews:

Nobody likes logging in to read a negative review. Your typical response might range from disappointment in the level of service your insurance agency provided to becoming irked that a situation was misinterpreted and now your reputation is being tarnished on a very public platform. While you might want to close your eyes and pretend you didn't see it, a negative review shouldn't be ignored, and how you respond to it is important.

First and foremost, don't do anything until you've had the chance to sit back and reflect on what the customer said in the review. Very rarely is your first response the best response to criticism. The power that a consumer has when they leave a negative review is enormous, a carefully thought out response will help you regain control in the situation and position yourself to look favorable in the eyes of future insurance customers.

You might be tempted to respond with a simple "Please message us so we can work with you to resolve this issue". It's best to avoid this strategy, at least at first. This leaves those who are reading the review only with the knowledge that you failed, but with no clear picture of how you worked to rectify the situation.

There are three main points to responding publicly to a negative review. The first is to apologize for their experience, even if you don't believe you are fully at fault. The second is to acknowledge their version of the issue and then end with offering an initial solution. If you're certain the bad review was a result of customer error, even a simple statement that you're going to review the incident is a good start.

The last thing you want is review that ends up as an epic back and forth dialogue about the event in question. If after two responses on your part no resolution has occurred, make a note that someone from your agency will be contacting the customer directly to resolve the issue.

Protect Your Agency's Reputation:

Knowing when and how to respond to insurance company reviews is important. The ways reputation management benefits search engine optimization are far reaching. We'd like to help you learn more about managing your reviews and the specific marketing strategies for insurance agents that will help build your agency. Contact Confluency Solutions and speak with one of insurance marketing experts today.