Managing Rescue Reviews - for rescue management:

 

Rescue Review has over 2000 unique visitors monthly. With 69% of people trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations*, the site shouldn’t be ignored.

Should you respond to reviews? Responding demonstrates that you take an interest and are willing to act.  63% of consumers said they would be willing to go back to a company after a negative experience if they received a follow up apology/correction from a supervisor/head office. You may appear to be responding to one individual reviewer, but onlookers are the greater populace of your existing supporters and potential animal adopters.

Who should respond? Identify someone within your organisation with the communication, policy understanding and literacy skills to respond as a spokesperson. Ensure that the issue has been investigated and fully understood before submitting a reply.

Which reviews should you respond to? Respond to any review that may damage your reputation or those that require clarification or an apology. Periodically responding to thank the reviewer may develop greater support for your rescue and promotes the positive.

What should you say? Apologize as necessary and reassure the reviewer that if something went wrong, the issue is being addressed. The audience is seeking reassurance the same thing won’t happen to them. If you can’t fix the problem, explain why. If the concern is in regard to a policy position, explain the rationale behind the policy. Be polite, professional and proof read before submitting.

Should you ignore negative reviews? If a review is irritating or illogical, you may choose to ignore it. Review readers can “tell the wheat from the chaff’ and your response may attract unwarranted scrutiny of the original review.

How do you deal with bad reviews? Reviews are often written due to extreme experiences - good or bad.  Be prepared that periodically your rescue will receive criticism. Learn from these cases and adjust expectations as necessary.

What if you suspect a review is a fraudulent or includes fake information? Rescue Review has a zero tolerance for fraud and has a number of advanced mechanisms for detection. Rescues are welcome to contact the administrator if they feel a review is fraudulent.

Will you be accused of posting fake reviews? If it is proven that you have submitted a fraudulent review, penalties for gaming the system may be implemented. This could include a warning notification/badge being added to your review alerting the audience that your reviews are dubious.

Can you improve your rating and ranking? Rescue Review does not disclose its rating algorithm, but can reveal that animal welfare is of great importance. To boost your ratings, use the available feedback to implement the necessary improvements and reward excellence and achievements. Ensure that the information in your directory listing current and actively participate to encourage review submissions.

How can you actively participate? Encourage reviews by including a review request in your adoption packs. Promote feedback with Rescue Review promotional material in your waiting room/reception. Include the Rescue Review badge on your website and social networking.

(*Harris Interactive survey conducted by RightNow Technologies July 2010)