If yours is like most portable sanitation businesses, this is the time of year you can pause to reflect on the past busy season and think about what you want to do differently when the pace picks up again next spring.
Between thinking about getting your equipment back into tiptop shape and looking at your holiday to-do list, you may want to noodle around on the Internet to look at your company's Internet presence. As more customers are migrating to the Internet to find service providers, is your website all that it should be? Does it have a professional appearance? Is it outfitted with the tools 21st century consumers would demand, like online ordering, lightning fast interactivity and lots of educational content?
CHECK YOUR REPUTATION
And while you're out there surfing, do a Google search for your company's name. You never know what you'll find ... and may be surprised with what people are saying about you. Contractors often tell me that word-of-mouth is their best advertising, and a positive testimonial from a loyal customer makes for marketing magic. If that's the case, what does a negative review of your services do for your efforts to attract new customers?
Nobody's called to complain about your service, you might say. But you may be surprised to find out that someone has given you a negative online review that could be carrying a lot of weight with perspective customers. Look at service review sites like Yelp.com to see if anyone's talking about you. I perused the comments about a California PRO's service (I won't name names) and found widely divergent reviews:
The Good
"The portable toilet was delivered successfully! And when I needed to extend it a little longer, they were very accommodating. Wonderful service!"
The Bad
"Don't bother even sending them an email. I sent one a week and half ago and got a one sentence response. I responded back and now nothing. With customer service right off the bat that was this bad, I don't want to even give them my business just to be disappointed. There are plenty of other options. I sent out three other emails to local companies and all three have way better communication and act like they actually want my business."
And the Ugly
"Are they professional enough to complete their order? I think not! It never showed up. I called their so-called emergency number and left a message three hours after the appointed time of arrival. Six hours after the party was over, the inside of my house is a disaster from people running in and out trying to use the bathroom, still no (restroom) ...
So, would I recommend (the company) to anybody for service? Not even to my worst enemy! (company name) YOU SUCK!"
WHO'S POSTING?
As you read in these examples, anonymous reviewers – and even those who use their names at the review websites – don't pull any punches, especially when they fire up the computer as they are still stinging from a bad customer experience. Just like your most loyal customers may be a bit too effusive with praise for your service, people who take a negative view can go overboard in their criticism. You know how hateful users of the Internet can be if you've checked out comments below just about any YouTube video or comments following news stories at your local newspaper's website.
These negative reviews don't necessarily come from legitimate sources, according to John S. Rizzo and V. Michael Santoro, authors of a new book on small business promotion, Niche Dominance: Creating Order Out of Your Digital Marketing Chaos (www.nichedominance.com). They urge service companies to do what they can to counter harsh reviews that can put a damper on attracting new customers.
"Anyone can post a bad review online and hurt your business. Unfortunately, most business owners are not even aware that these bad reviews are out there," Santoro says. Bad reviews could be coming from a disgruntled employee or even one of your competitors looking to knock you down. Posted customer opinions carry weight with 70 percent of consumers, Santoro says, quoting a Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Survey. And the bad reviews linger on in cyberspace.
"A bad review published in a newspaper, or broadcast on radio or TV, is short-lived, but a bad review posted online can live indefinitely," Rizzo says. "With consumers now researching an average of 10 reviews before making a buying decision, and 70 percent trusting a business that has a minimum of six reviews posted, business owners need to be proactive in developing their online reputation. You need several positive reviews."
TURN IT AROUND
Rizzo and Santoro recommend employing "reputation marketing" to score with positive reviews and counter those frustrating negative reviews. There's no better time than the slower winter season to start the ball rolling. Here are a few of their tips:
Develop a five-star reputation.
Begin by having your happy customers post great reviews about your business. Strive to have at least 10. Have each post to one of the following: Google Plus Local, Yelp, CitySearch, SuperPages, YP.com, your Facebook Fan page, etc. This needs to be a continuous process. Proactively ask your customers to post reviews. Showcase the third-party reviews on
your website.
Manage Your Reputation
Regularly check that the reviews being posted are positive. You can use Google Alerts for your business name. By building up the positive reviews, you can counter a poor one by sheer volume. You also should quickly post a reply to a negative review. Always be professional and indicate action you have taken to remedy the situation.
Create a Reputation Marketing Culture
Train your staff to ask customers for reviews and to deal immediately with any customer who appears unhappy. A positive culture will encourage customers to post positive reviews about your business.
BACK TO THE BAD REVIEWS
Remember the portable restroom company with the negative reviews mentioned earlier? The owner actually followed on one of the reputation-marketing tips, responding to criticism with an apology:
"I researched your complaint and I cannot see any orders that were not delivered. I apologize if there was a mistake made by us. Call me if there is ever a problem with a delivery ... We try extremely hard on a day-to-day operation to do everything that I would expect if I was using our service. Once again I apologize if there was a mistake made."
