Where to start with Reputation Management

Just thinking about your businesses reputation given the ever exploding Customer Review Websites popping up like the dandelions in my yard this spring. Where do you begin? How do you manage the reputation? How do you respond? Who at your business will you place in this position to manage your reputation online? If I need to have someone else handle my reputation, who might that be?

These are just a few of the questions you might ask. I even had a business owner ask me recently how do I get these bad reviews removed from Google? My response was you don’t.

What I would suggest is taking a look at your current business. Is it in your DNA as a business to give your customers exceptional service? Do you have the personnel in your organization that are dedicated to exceptional customer service? If you do have people in your organization dedicated to exceptional customer service, ask yourself, are they able to make decisions to solve customer issues without going through road blocks?

Obviously exceptional customer service isn’t easy, but if you make it a way of doing business in your organization. It sure will make it a lot easier when it comes to your reputation.

In the old days if a customer had a bad experience they might tell a few of their relatives, friends and neighbors. Now these customers are turning to those Customer Review Sites and not only telling those same people but broadcasting their displeasure with you company to the masses. With Google crawling all over the web these reviews make their way to where 80% or more of your shoppers are going when they begin their shopping.

My first suggestion in reputation management might be: The “Golden Rule”

Make it a part of you business from top to bottom to provide exceptional service and those bad reviews that I was asked earlier will become less and less.