How to Get More 5 Star Ratings

Here's how to create a great customer experience that will earn you repeat business and a positive review.

1. Set Expectations

An important key to getting a 5-star rating is to set a customer's expectations before they arrive to your shop. 

For example, a customer with an appointment might not realize that they need to drop their car off at the scheduled time and pick it up later. Their expectation might be to have immediate service. Set the expectation ahead of time that they should be prepared to leave their car to avoid receiving a negative comment or score.

• Think ahead. If you expect to send similar information to many customers, such as providing a heads up to leave their car, arranging transportation, or the ESP process, save time by creating a Customer Email Message.

2. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Communicating quickly and throughout your customer's entire experience is the difference between a 5-star review and a bad review. You don't want to leave a customer wondering if they should show up for the appointment they scheduled with you or if their car is ready for pickup. Even worse, you don't want a customer showing up for an appointment when you aren't available, and being turned away.

• Reply the easy way. You can use your Dashboard to accept, reschedule, or decline appointments, and email communications will automatically be sent to your customer

3. Provide Great Customer Service

The type of experience your customer has while interacting with the people in your shop is the key to:

This all points to the importance of customer service in the success of your business. Customer service is the responsibility of everyone in your organization, from the owner down to the part-time employees. All it takes is one negative interaction to turn off a customer for good.

Read this article for tips on providing great customer service.

4. Keep Your Space Clean and Safe

You don't need a freshly remodeled waiting area, but customers appreciate areas that are clean and inviting. Waiting rooms, bathrooms, and amenities have the power to impress and leave a long lasting positive impression on your customers. They also have the power to leave a long lasting negative impression as well.

• Easy ways to enhance a customer's experience
• Keep customers safe while their cars are in service during COVID-19

5. Respond to Reviews

Don't think you just need to reply to negative reviews. Responding to both positive and negative reviews is an important way to both create returning customers and attract new ones. 

For information on responding to customer surveys, check out this article here.