How Roofers Can Respond to Online Reviews

1. Thank the Reviewer

As mentioned above, thanking the reviewer for their kind words is common courtesy. It also shows the customer that you value their time. When all else fails, say thank you!

2. Respond Quickly

Again, show the reviewer that you value the time they took out of their day to promote your roofing company. By responding quickly, you show the customer that you appreciate both their patronage and their positive words. Better yet, you’ll stand out from competitors that let their reviews sit idle for months (or years!).

3. Keep It Short

Don’t be lengthy in your reply—just be authentic and brief in your positive review response. A couple of sentences will suffice.

4. Be Personal

Just like the customer was likely specific with their review (i.e. “Jeff always does a fantastic job!”), you should try to sprinkle personal details in as well. Address the reviewer by name. Perhaps you remember something about the particular job. Doing so will also show customers you’re not simply copying and pasting a generic response—that’s a big no-no!

5. Invite Them to Share

This is one place you can use positive reviews to your advantage. While thanking the reviewer, invite them to share the positive experience with their family and friends. A lot of the time, you just have to ask, and satisfied customers will be glad to recommend you (especially if you have a referral system).

6. Share Positive Review on Social

You can use positive reviews for marketing purposes, too. Share glowing testimonials on social media, and new customers will be right around the corner. Who knows, maybe a roofing blog will notice your success.

4 Tips for Responding to Negative Reviews

Although negative reviews are never fun to receive, they can be helpful for feedback and improving your service. And while you may be embarrassed about the negative review and want to ignore it, that is the worst thing you can do. Even if you receive a scathing review, you should respond to it. By responding, you open up the possibility of regaining that customer’s trust, plus you deflect any damage the bad review could be doing to potential customers who see it. There are a couple things to do when responding to negative reviews to make sure you are doing the most you can to repair your online reputation.

1. Acknowledge the Issue

Nobody likes someone who never takes responsibility for their actions. As a roofing business owner, you need to take responsibility for whatever the customer’s complaint is, because, yep—the customer is always right. Good language to use could be: “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

2. Apologize

No matter what did or didn’t happen, your customer is clearly upset, and they’re scaring away potential clients by venting about it online. Diffuse the situation and apologize, genuinely, for the customer’s emotional distress over the situation. Be courteous, not snarky.

3. Explain, If Necessary

Sometimes, the customer isn’t telling the whole story, and they’re tarnishing your reputation. In situations when necessary, you may offer an explanation of your side of the story. However, you should be extremely mindful of the tone of your response and the language used. Be communicative, stand your ground, and be polite.

4. Invite the Reviewer to Discuss Offline

Don’t air your dirty laundry online where potential customers can see it. Be professional and respectful of your customer’s privacy and take the conversation offline. Invite the customer to call you to discuss the matter further, or direct them to someone who can rectify the situation—offline.< Getting online reviews is an amazing way to get new roofing business in your area. However, without strategic responses to these online reviews, you can sorely hurt your bottom line. Hopefully, these tips were helpful for roofers wondering how to respond to online reviews—both negative and positive!