Why Reviews Are Important for Your Auto Body Shop

At your auto body shop, your hardworking team provides excellent service. However, no one can know that if you don’t have customer reviews sharing their experience. When someone searches the name of your auto body shop, you want an influx of positive experiences to light up their screen.

Some businesses don’t understand why reviews are important. The short answer is that customers are most likely to go to the body shop with the best reviews.

Whether you own a big-name auto body shop or are a local family-owned operation, customer reviews should be a focus of your auto body shop marketing. Here's everything you need to know about online reviews and why they matter for attracting customers through your doors.

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Why Are Customer Reviews Important?

Customer reviews are crucial to your digital marketing strategy. Some auto body shops will dismiss reviews as unimportant, but you are already one step ahead by understanding why reviews are important as a marketing tool.

Manage Your Online Reputation

When it comes to bringing in more customers, reputation management is everything. While you can’t manage how your reputation shifts by word-of-mouth, you can manage it where it matters most: online.

Today, your online reputation can make or break your business. If you’re unaware of your online reviews, you can’t manage them. Responding to reviews can make a world of difference to customers.

Not only will a strong reputation bring in new customers, but it will aid in customer retention. If your service is so good that it prompts them to write a positive review, they are more likely to remember your auto body shop. The next time they need an auto service or repair, your business name will be the first to come to mind.

Increase Your Google Ranking

Did you know reviews can increase your ranking on Google search result pages?

If you own a smaller auto body shop, it’s especially important to consider your Google ranking. Your Google ranking dictates how quickly your business comes up when a potential customer googles keywords related to your business.

When a potential customer searches “auto body shops near me”, you want to be one of the first options. The more positive reviews you have, the more likely you are to appear on the first page of results. Google ranking also takes into account how often your business responds to customer reviews. The more frequently you respond to customer reviews, the higher your Google ranking will be.

Google rankings take into account:

• How many ratings you have
• How positive the ratings are
• If the reviewer added written comments
• If the reviewer’s comment includes search engine optimization (SEO) keywords
• If your business replied to the review
• How quickly your business replied to the review

Learn From the Feedback

Even the best auto body shop in the world has room for improvement. Customer reviews are an opportunity to improve your service.

By carefully evaluating reviews, you can determine what your business is doing well and what you need to work on. Use this data to make necessary adjustments and prove to your customers that you are dedicated to providing the best service possible.

Keep track of recurring issues so you can address them, but celebrate your wins, too. Looking for patterns in the reviews is the best way to evaluate feedback.

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How Can You Improve Your Customer Reviews?

Now that you know why reviews are important, you might be wondering how to encourage customers to write reviews so you can start reaping the benefits.

If you’re starting from scratch, you might not know how to start managing your customer reviews. Don’t worry; our team at Body Shop Marketing is here to offer some tips to help you grow and sustain your positive customer reviews.

Offer Excellent Service

Of course, the most organic way to prompt feedback improvement is by providing customers with positive experiences at your auto body shop. As the owner, it’s your responsibility to monitor employees, ensure they are well-trained, and take all customer feedback into account. Vague reviews won’t do much good. Provide a positive experience that customers can rave about in their reviews.

Ask Customers During Service

Asking customers to leave a review directly is one of the most effective ways to encourage positive reviews. Your customers have busy lives, and writing a review may not cross their minds until you mention it.

Simply bringing it up in conversation can be enough for them to take action. Train your employees to request a customer review during or directly after a service or repair. They should stress how your business values customer feedback and how grateful they would be for a rating and review. This is the best time to ask since your service is still fresh in their mind.

You can also email customers after you finish their service or repair. You can even offer a direct link to your reviews page. This review encouragement method can prompt customers who otherwise would have forgotten to leave a review.

Offer Incentives for Reviews

A strong incentive can be the last push a customer needs to write you a glowing review.

When you choose an incentive or reward for posting a review of your body shop, consider your client base and what will be the best motivator for them. Incentives you could offer for reviews include:

• A free product or service
• A reduced service fee
• A discount on their next repair
• Loyalty points

A customer loyalty program is a great way to cultivate a feeling of community among your customers while encouraging frequent positive reviews. Offer a certain number of points per review. When a customer accumulates a number of points, they can redeem them for a coupon or discounted service. This ensures you and your customer are mutually benefiting from the program.

Never Use Fake Reviews

Some auto body shop owners use fake positive reviews as a marketing strategy. But this is a trap, not a loophole. Customers can identify these disingenuous reviews, and it will only deter them from using your service. Even worse, fraudulent reviews can damage your reputation with existing customers and tank your search engine ranking.

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How Should You Respond to Customer Reviews?

Having customer reviews isn’t enough to boost your online presence. Interact with them, too. Customers shouldn’t feel like they’re sending their review into a detached void; it should feel like a method of communication.

Not only will this boost your Google ranking, but it will also show your customers that you’re responsive and care about their feedback.

Responding to Positive Reviews

Showing gratitude when customers take the time to write a positive review is essential. By following up with customers, you show that your service doesn’t end after they pay.

This encourages other people to write positive reviews, too. When they see you’ve responded to other reviews, they are more likely to write one of their own, knowing you’ll see it and respond.

When you respond to a positive review:

• Express your gratitude: Offer a genuine "thank you" to show that you appreciate their time and kind words.
• Be specific: Personalize each response as much as possible. This will make it a more memorable and effective response.
• Prompt more action: At the end of your message, ask the reviewer to share their positive experience with friends and family.
• Display the review: Don’t limit a positive review to the review page. Share outstanding reviews on your website and social media accounts.

Responding to Negative Reviews

You can’t avoid negative reviews. Mistakes and disagreements are natural, and some customers will leave unhappy. When you see a negative review for your auto body shop, don’t panic, strategize. Potential customers’ perception of the negative review depends largely on your response.

First, discuss the issue internally. Was there a miscommunication with the customer? Did an employee make a mistake? Determine exactly what happened, and make an action plan to prevent the issue in the future.

Then, write your response. When responding to a negative review:

• Post quickly: Responding within 24 hours is essential. A prompt response shows customers you take their concerns seriously
• Post publicly: Post your response publicly rather than contacting the customer privately to offer an apology. Other customers should see you responding to criticism graciously
• Address the problem: Ensure the customer feels heard by acknowledging their specific situation
• Offer an apology: Take responsibility for the mistake, miscommunication, or otherwise negative experience
• Make a gesture: A good-faith gesture might involve offering a refund or a discount for a future service.

Elevate Your Online Presence With Body Shop Marketing

Knowing why reviews are important is a good start, but customer reviews are just one component of reputation management. Here at Body Shop Marketing, we offer the digital marketing tools you need to establish and boost your online presence — to keep your shop full of cars.

We serve our shops like we would like to be served: with integrity, hard work, and outstanding customer service.

Give us a call at (855) 667-9648 to schedule your 15-minute discovery call and see how we can help your local or family-owned body shop compete with corporate empires.