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Positive online reviews for your product or service are powerful tools in encouraging others to sample your wares and build brand loyalty. Need proof? Consider recent news that online review giant Yelp may actually be killing chain restaurants as users instead opt to support and review local, independently owned establishments.

In the same study, Michael Luca of Harvard Business School reported that “ ‘a one-star increase in Yelp rating leads to a 5-9 percent increase in revenue,’” as written by The Washington Post.

And after all, this logic makes perfect sense. Let’s forget the social media part of the equation for just a minute and consider a hypothetical scenario. You’re searching for a certain product and decide to ask a few friends and family members for recommendations. You get a few positive referrals, but also hear from people who had a bad experience with one of your product options. Naturally, you’ll steer clear of the product that comes with negative reviews and will instead opt for another choice.

When you combine the power of a positive review with the global reach of the Internet, the possibilities can mean more customers and more revenue. Online reviews act as SEO boosters, increasing your online visibility and subsequent reach. And in this day and age, higher visibility in the fast-moving digital stream can only mean good things for your business.

That leaves the million-dollar question: how do you get more reviews? Consider these tips:

*Use email. Follow in the footsteps of business giants like Amazon and Sephora and send customers an email after each purchase inviting them to write a review. By sending an email with information on how to write a review, you give your customer the flexibility to complete a review when it’s convenient. You’re also letting them know that you hope your customer enjoys the purchase and that you’re invested in each person’s experience with your company.

*Put your website to work. Just as you’d integrate your blog into your website to create one information-packed portal, consider building review functionality directly into your website. Not only does this make for a better user experience, but you’ll also increase your site’s content and number of indexed pages, two critical factors when it comes to creating and maintaining an effective, optimized website. And even if you decide to incorporate reviews into your website, be sure to also include links to external review sites like Yelp and Google Places. Think of it as creating a testimonial portfolio that will give current and prospective customers a wider overview of your business and experiences that others have had.

*Make it stick. Speaking of review sites, many of them offer stickers and/or window clings that you can display in your business. Pick a prominent place such as the door or near the cash register to let customers know where they can find you online and write a review.

*Consider—and implement—feedback. Let’s say several customers leave reviews on a product and offer similar feedback on how it can be improved. Or, perhaps they share thoughts on something they’d like to see that you don’t currently offer. You may want to modify an existing product based on that feedback, or even create something new. You don’t necessarily need to revamp your whole product line.

We’ve seen a great example of this kind of thing locally – one of our favorite Kansas City sandwich shops named a breakfast sandwich after a regular customer. Those sorts of actions signal to your customers that you truly value their opinions and their business, which will likely inspire more reviews. Plus, this will also boost your word-of-mouth marketing—the customers whose feedback you incorporate into your product or service will spread the word among their own networks, increasing your reach–both online and off.

A word to the wise? Whatever idea you employ to help get more customer reviews, just make sure you don’t revert to spammy tactics in order to entice business. You can offer product samples to help educate prospective reviewers, but don’t try to buy them off with merchandise, gift certificates or money. Building a solid network of reviews make take some time, but if you approach the initiative with honest intentions and an ongoing dedication to customer service, your results will be much more powerful in the long run.

How have you encouraged your customers to write online reviews? We’d love to know what’s proven effective for your business. And if you opt to use any of the aforementioned tips, let us know how they work!

Online Reviews: How To Encourage People To Review Your Business is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

This is a guest post by one of my favorite, and smartest of friends, and a well-known online security expert, Christopher Burgess (@burgessct)

My Customer Service Nightmare at the Hands of Newport News/Spiegel 

There comes a time in every consumer’s lifetime when a retailer may try and take advantage of the relationship and deliver less or nothing in exchange for the consumer’s hard-earned money. Such was the case with my spouse and Newport News/Spiegel online and direct marketing clothiers.

In our situation, my wife purchased and returned items from Newport News in February 2011. Yet, as of June 2011 the refund she was due had not yet been received. But amazingly every time she spoke with a customer service representative (CSR) she was told something like this: “Ma’am, we assure you, your name is at the top of the list. We are experiencing a computer glitch, you will have your money in five days, we asked that you wait two billing cycles. We don’t know what is going on, call us back on Monday,” etc.

As consumers, you should be aware that for unscrupulous retailers, all of these platitudes are nothing more than holding statements, crafted by the retailer and designed to get the customer off the phone and to buy time.

In our scenario – my bride demonstrated extraordinary patience and trust over the course of a four month period – which is not uncommon for many consumers.

In exasperation, and because my wife was able to get no resolution to this situation, I thought it might make sense to test the power of social media. Accordingly, I posted a note on Newport News Facebook page and an @mention to their Twitter account. Amazingly, they removed the comment from the Facebook page, but not before others had made comments that they too were encountering similar issues.

The Twitter notes went without notice or response.

It quickly became clear that these are examples of two brands – Newport News and Spiegel – who are using their social network presences to broadcast but not engage with their customers. Not surprising – it happens all the time. However, what’s disturbing is that in the event someone has a negative experience with these retailers and posts a complaint, it’s immediately purged rather than dealt with in a straightforward, upstanding or honest manner.

The retailer’s action to delete versus engage actually had a far more detrimental effect than if they had engaged and resolved. But it not only serves as an excellent example of how not to handle customer service in social networks, it gives me fodder for a blog post about customer service.

My wife’s patience finally snapped, and she engaged the Washington Attorney General’s office to file a formal compliant against Newport News. The AG’s office contacted her, verified that the compliant had validity and sent paperwork to Newport News asking that they refund the funds. Even they were ignored.

Not to be deterred, she simultaneously filed a complaint with the FTC Consumer Complaint division. The FTC acknowledged receipt, but we quickly learned that there has to be a cacophony of complaints for either entity to actually take action. If this kind of thing happens to you at the hands of any vendor, I recommend filing a complaint against them, as each voice most definitely adds to the noise of the choir.

My tenacious wife waited another week and then called the credit card fraud department and filed a complaint. They noted her time to request a charge-back had passed, but they would gladly review her material and try. She forwarded the shipping/billing statements, copies of the email promises, call notes (dates, times, CSR’s name) and within one week they credited her credit card statement with 100% of the funds in question. They followed up with their own written documentation – case closed – 1 July.

Bottom line – if you are purchasing from either Newport News or its sister organization, Spiegel, allow me to help you through the morass so that you don’t get left waiting for your refund or worse, left holding the bag.

• Pay by credit card.
• If you return an item – track the package, ensure a signature upon receipt, memorialize all your conversations and emails – document, document, document.
• If you have not received your money by day 29 of the purchase, contact your credit card company and ask that they execute a charge back against the vendor. They will immediately credit your account and debit the vendor (with fees).

Most importantly, don’t fall prey to their delay tactics! Whether it’s Spiegel, Newport News or any other retailer, if they ask something like this: “Please allow us up to 15 days to receive and process your returned merchandise. Allow 2 credit card statements for your refund to appear,” be forewarned. There’s the gotcha – your credit card company asks that you challenge vendor’s charge within 30 days – waiting two billing cycles often can make it impossible for you to dispute a charge on your credit card – and that’s just what retailers like this are counting on.

As always, knowledge is your most powerful asset. And, when it comes to these particular merchants, remember Caveat Emptor – give them a wide berth.

Christopher Burgess is a senior security advisor to the chief security officer of a Fortune 100 company, who previously served as a senior national security executive for more than 30 years. Christopher addresses threats to intellectual property, security aspects of social media, security strategy, security education and awareness and prevention of industrial espionage. You can follow him on his blog BurgessCT

Photo credit: The Guardian

Customer Service Lesson: Caviat Emptier Newport News/Spiegel is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

I stopped at a local eyeglass shop this afternoon to begin the arduous process of shopping for new specs. There was really no time for this indulgence in an already busy day packed with wall-to-wall meetings, but I felt like stopping, so I did.

This was a relatively new neighborhood store and one I’d not visited before. The young man in charge was waiting on another couple and they were clearly fully engaged in the shopping process. (Translation: They were going to be awhile).

I started browsing the glass cases and found a few things that caught my eye. After a few minutes of browsing, from across the room the manager asked if I was in the looking for new glasses. I smiled and nodded. But I said “I don’t have a ton of time, so I’ll just look and come back another time – I can see you’re busy.” To my surprise he said, “Make yourself at home. You can look at anything you like. Just step behind the counter and try on whatever you like. And if you need me, let me know.”

Color me shocked. In all my years of shopping for glasses, I’ve always found myself at the mercy of salespeople. It’s just the way it is. If you happen into a store at the wrong time, you’re in for a long wait just to get a chance to try something on, because the staff are waiting on other customers. And we won’t even discuss all the helpful folks who want to draw out the process by forcing you to try on things that you know you’ll hate. But you do it to just to appease them. To further compound things, in many upscale stores glasses are often kept in glass display cases, requiring the assistance of a salesperson just to try them on. All in all, it’s a pain in the neck shopping for glasses, especially for a time-starved person like me — and that’s why I keep putting it off.

This little gift? This was like getting the secret passcode to the cookie jar.

So you know what I did? I dove right in. I forgot my time constraints and indulged myself by trying on more glasses than I normally would and, in the process, found several that I really liked. And you know what happened when the couple the manager was waiting on left? Well, he saw that I was doing just fine on my own and let me be.

Here’s the thing. For a customer like me, a purchase of a new pair of glasses is easily worth about $1,500 to an eyeglass shop. And if I manage to find more than one pair I like, I’ll buy them both, so you can double that number. Before you think me a spendthrift, I have horrible eyes, I buy amazing frames and even more amazing lenses because my eyes are worth it. I may skimp on some things, but never, ever on glasses. I wear them every day of my life, so, for me, this is an investment well worth making.

I’m the customer an eyeglass shop wants to have. But the manager didn’t know that. And what he did was so simple, but something that doesn’t occur to so many. He let down the walls. Instead of keeping me at arm’s length, in front of the case, biding my time and waiting for it to be convenient to him to help me make a purchase, he just opened the door. He gave me the keys. He put me in charge. He got out of the way.

He made my user experience so amazing that I not only stayed longer than I imagined I would, I’ll probably go back and buy the $1,500 pair of glasses that I liked. And, even better than that, I came home and wrote a blog post about it.

What about you? What kind of user experience do you offer your customers and prospects? And don’t get hung up thinking it matters whether your business is a brick and mortar location or an online one – it doesn’t. Do you build walls to keep customers at bay, always making them jump through your hoops and adhere to what’s convenient for you? Or do you consistently look for ways to break down the walls and allow them to create experiences that work for them? It can be as easy as designing your website with your users’ experience in mind – or doing what Joe did, and inviting me to step behind the counter and help myself.

You might be surprised by what could happen if you considered breaking down a wall or two. You might even sell more stuff to more people. Imagine that.

And, for the record, the eyeglass shop was Brookside Optical, located in Prairie Village, Kansas. The manager’s name was Joe and, he doesn’t know it yet, but I’ll be back. I’ll definitely be back.

Oh, and Brookside Optical, if you’re reading this, your website stinks. I can fix that for you.

Breaking Down The Walls is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

Social media has enabled companies (even some with notoriously poor customer service) to better field consumer questions and concerns. Major brands like Comcast, Dell and Best Buy have embraced social media as it has allowed them to connect with their consumers in a more immediate and impactful manner. If companies participating in the social media arena have greatly improved their ability to field consumer complaints and questions – isn’t it a logical to assume that companies will also be able to sell more effectively to their consumers as well? IBM believes so.

IBM was early to embrace the social media and, since 2005, has encouraged their employees to participate in the social media world. Now they are prepared to take it a step further. IBM recently launched a new skills initiative that will provide their business partners with education on how to leverage social media as a sales tool. I discovered this by reading the intrepid Todd Watson’s blog and now have another great source for business intelligence – check him out if you like this kind of stuff about the “big guys” like IBM and stalk him on Twitter at TurboTodd

Here are some of the things IBM associates will be diving into in the coming months:

- Training sessions on social media tools (Twitter, Facebook, wikis, RSS etc.)
- Social media guide available via IMB PartnerWorld website
- Webcast and podcast series on Web 2.0 social media opportunities and strategic implementation
- Live training session at the 2010 IBM Information OnDemand Conference
- Virtual and in-person workshops at the IBM Virtual Innovation Center and 40 IBM Innovation Centers worldwide

In part IBM, is educating their sales force because social media has impacted ‘business as usual’ so drastically. They want to not only educate their business partners about the vast collection of social media tools that exist today, but also equip them with skills to engage with customers (and potential customers) on a deeper level. Sandy Carter, IBM Software Business Partner VP, said the goal is to “elevate their sales and marketing teams with social media strategies to establish smarter business practices….” So, if the goal is to increase sales and recent research eMarketer shows that “daily Twitter users who follow a brand are more than twice as likely …to purchase from the brand after becoming a follower” – this leads me to believe that IBM might just be successful in their endeavor to increase sales. Sounds like a decent strategy. Your thoughts?

Driving Sales Through Social Media is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

This is what my friend Erika Napoletano, the infamous Chief Redhead at Redhead Writing, would call a Bitch Slap. Damn, but I wish I’d thought of that.

I’ll ask again … do you have a job? If so, it’s probably because the business you work for has customers. And when was the last time you gave a damn about those customers? Those pesky people who bug you incessantly with their neediness. Those annoying gnats that allow you to keep that job. The J.O.B. The thing that provides a living. That feeds your kids. That pays your rent.

Pull your heads out people!

Let me give you an example. Yesterday, I was at the neighborhood grocery store. I needed deli meat and I prefer the brand that this store carries. It’s also about five blocks from my house, so I shop there often. I got to the counter and there were 6 deli workers, all engaged in the business of doing something other than being even remotely interested in waiting on me. The only customer. I’m polite. So I waited. And waited. Then I waited some more. Then I realized they were playing the “I’m going to ignore her and let someone else wait on her – I’ve got stuff to do here” game. I’d recognize that game anywhere – it happens all too often.

So, panties most definitely in a wad and in a quiet rage, I huffed off to the front of the store and the customer service center. As if I have time for this crap. The young girl manning the counter asked if she could help. I replied that I wanted to speak with a manager. She said “sure thing” and poked her head into the office and spoke to ‘the guy’ and said “There’s a customer out here who wants to speak with you.” I suppose he grunted in response, but I’m not really sure.

And I waited. And waited. Then I waited some more. Have I mentioned that I’m not particularly good at waiting? The young lady realized that steam was about to come out of my ears, but she figured that cowering in a corner was safer than bothering her boss again and reminding him that I was waiting to be serviced. Oh, that sounds kind of nasty, doesn’t it. Not that kind of serviced.

Finally, I gave up. I have a business to run. Clients to keep happy, kids to feed, deli meat to buy. I went to the checkout counter to begin the process of paying for the groceries in my cart. When my friends, the checkers and baggers, asked about my shopping experience (as they are no doubt trained to do), I said that it was crap. That I’d gotten absolutely no service at the deli counter and when I went to the office to talk to the manager about it, I’d gotten no service there either. They shook their heads and said “That’s too bad. You’re in here a lot. You send a lot of money here.” No duh. And, for the record, not one of them beat feet over to the customer service office and dragged a manager out to rectify the problem. Another fail.

Speaking of money, let’s do some quick math. Some of you are smiling, I know. You know how I feel about math. But this is important. I cook. A lot. And feed a family of four. I spend, on average, $200 a week at this store. That equates to about $860 per month that I spend on groceries and other necessities. Round that off and say that my annual value to that particular store is about $10,000. Do you think that when those idiots at the deli case are ignoring me that they see a big, flashing sign with $10,000 on it – or do they just see some bothersome gal in sweats busting up their party and having the audacity to expect them to slice up a little turkey?

And that manager. What a moron. He doesn’t deserve his job, that’s for sure. Funny thing, I doubt he even knows it.

So, here’s the thing. I quit you, Cosentino’s Brookside Market. And now, I schlep an extra three miles over to the Hen House in Prairie Village and give them my $10,000. There, they welcome my business. They greet me enthusiastically, with a smile, and can’t wait to slice some turkey for me. And anything else I need they serve up graciously. That’s how you treat a customer, folks. As an aside, I’m not the only customer who feels that way about the Hen House – check out this Yelp review and you’ll see what I mean. I wonder if the folks at Cosentino’s have ever heard of Yelp. Hmmmm.

Don’t make the mistake of taking your customers for granted. Greet them every chance you get with a smile and an appreciation for the fact that they choose to spend their hard earned money with you – instead of with someone else. Small businesses who are looking for a way to differentiate themselves from the competition would be well-served to remember these simple words of advice. Treat your customers like royalty – they will reward you by coming back.

Have a Job? Thank Your Customers. is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

When I started to write this post, I really had to stop and reflect as to whether the topic of today’s rant should be on customer service or on consumer behavior. After much consideration, I settled on consumer behavior. And so the story begins …

As many of you know, I’m a mom with young kids – twins in fact. Like many moms, I make frequent (and often dreaded) trips to my local grocery store. The other day, I realized with great angst that it was “Garbage Day” and then realized, with even more angst, that my darling husband was conveniently out-of-town, as is so oft the case in my life. Why does this matter? Well, I’ll tell you. Here in beautiful Kansas City, MO, we have rules about garbage. Denizens of our fair city are permitted two and only two bags of garbage at the curb on a weekly basis. If you’re a garbage-generator (like me) there is a remedy – you can purchase little tags for $1 each and affix them to your “extra” bags and you’re good as gold. The only problem – there are only two nearby places a person can purchase these golden garbage tickets. One is my neighborhood grocery store.

So, at 6:30 pm I dragged my reluctant and tired progeny to the grocery store so as to purchase these golden garbage tickets. Whilst there, I conveniently purchased about $80 worth of ‘necessities,’ without which, I’m certain, my family could have not survived. The beauty of running in for just one thing – and you ALL know what I’m talking about here. So, I finally get in line, stand there waiting my turn, cajoling my children into continued good behavior (no easy trick at this hour) and, voila, it’s our turn. To my utter chagrin and NOT until after I’ve unloaded my $80 worth of necessities do I see a little sign that says “You cannot purchase stickers anywhere but at customer service counter.”

You have GOT to be kidding me. I came to this store just for stickers, bought $80 worth of other crap, stood on this long line with a bunch of other cranky people and NOW you tell me that I can’t buy the ONE THING I came here for in this line? No way! So I say to the young checker “You’re not really serious that I can’t buy garbage stickers in this line, right?” She gives me the blank look that goes right along with being a 16-year old working at a boring job and says “Nope, sorry” (clearly empathetic to my plight), and finishes my order. Shaking my head in disgust, I espy the line for the customer service desk, also conveniently the “10 items or less and smoker’s paradise aisle” which is now about 10 people deep. Super. My kids have been patient for all this time but are going to snap like twigs into full on meltdown at any moment. Parents – you know what I’m talking about. I have no choice, however, but to bribe them with even more candy and wait on the very long line for my doggone garbage stickers, positively steaming with disgust at the complete and total lack of knowledge about consumer behavior that this store is exhibiting.

It is finally my turn. As I place my order for stickers, I say to the clerk “I’m sure you didn’t make this rule, but seriously, what is the logic behind having this be the only place a person can purchase garbage stickers?” Funny thing, the store manager (are you hearing this Cosentino’s Price Chopper owners, in Brookside, MO?) was at that very moment walking by and, as he heard me start to ask a question, he paused, as if to offer sage guidance. However, when he heard my question, he quickly darted away, leaving the lowly clerk to answer. Impressive management style, huh? And the clerk graciously told me that they were having trouble with checkers ringing up the stickers properly, so they just quit allowing them to do it at all. Too bad, so sad for me that they can’t invest in training their checkers better – instead, the customers must pay.

Here’s how this whole thing relates to consumer behavior – and thanks for hanging in there with me. Grocery stores – ding*dong … I’m your target audience. I’m a mom with kids. I am in charge of feeding a family. I am the person who spends, on average $800 a month at your store. Are you listening yet? Ergo, I’m a pretty doggone valuable asset to you when it comes to your bottom line – aren’t I? As such, you should pay attention to the things that make me happy. For me, and I’m pretty sure I can speak for legions of moms out there, I want good products, clean stores, adequate parking, helpful staff and – most importantly – don’t make me wait on two separate lines for inconsequential things like garbage stickers. Don’t invent ways to inconvenience your customers – ever. Figure out ways to streamline their experience with you and you’ll have loyal customers for life. The thing about consumers – they like things that make their lives easier, not more difficult. So pay attention to the customers like me, Mr. Grocery Store Manager, because, here’s the thing – I have a choice about where to do my grocery shopping and, next time, I’m going to spend my $800 a month somewhere that values me. And values my time.

Consumer behavior. Whether you’re a grocery store owner or any other kind of business owner, learn this lesson and you won’t go wrong. Figure out what makes your customers’ lives easier and it will, no doubt, keep them coming back. Back it up with great customer service and good products and you’re in tall cotton. But don’t make decisions to save money because you can’t invest the time or energy in training YOUR people right and expect me to pay the price – when the price is my valuable time. It’s just not gonna happen. You see, grocery stores are a dime a dozen (at least they are in this town) and me and my $800 a month, we’re outta here. Thanks for the memories.

Grocery Store Fails When It Comes To Consumer Behavior is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency