According to recent data, it benefits retail brands when they respond to online reviews. Marketing Charts* reports, “Seven in 10 survey respondents indicated that a brand’s response to an online consumer review changes their perception of a brand, most commonly by making them feel that the brand really cares about customers (41 percent), that it has great customer service (35 percent) and that it is trustworthy (22 percent).” Caring about customers. Great customer service. Trustworthy. What do these have in common? They’re qualities that are important not only for retailers, but for companies in every other industry, as well.
We know that what works in retail doesn’t always translate into our clients’ lines of business (financial services, healthcare or manufacturing, for example), but this is pretty powerful: “Shoppers who read brand responses to negative reviews showed significantly higher product sentiment and intent to purchase” (Marketing Charts).
So what do you think? How important is it for banks and credit card issuers to respond to customer review? What impact can it have when hospitals or insurers respond? What about B2B companies? Can it improve brand perception? Or build brand loyalty? Let us know here or join the conversation on Twitter (@medialogic).
*The Marketing Charts piece cites evidence from the most recent Conversation Index from Bazaarvoice