Yelp has become one of the most loved and hated sites on the internet, providing consumers a means of voicing their opinions about nearly any business around. On the one hand, it can be a helpful tool for other shoppers who want to find a reliable business to work with, and for business owners who want to learn from the feedback they receive. However, it can occasionally create stress and conflict when a nasty review appears unexpectedly. The way you choose to handle those reviews actually has a lot to do with how your customers will perceive you going forward, so it is best to move cautiously and have a plan.
One of the biggest keys to successful social media management for luxury jewelry brands is keeping up with your reviews on a constant basis. As the owner of a high end retail shop, you are serving a niche market where consumers tend to be very cautious and well informed about the nature of the businesses they deal with. By going onto Yelp regularly and reading through your newest reviews, you can spot negative reviews faster and begin working on a remedy immediately. A bad review that sits on your page unaddressed for a long time will make other readers think that you aren't concerned with how the public feels about your customer experience.
Stay Calm
A negative review can seem like the end of the world, but it's not. Don't get too worked up in the process while planning your response to the individual. Instead, stay calm and try to walk through the steps of handling the issue as if the customer was standing across the counter from you.
Go Public
While there may be limits to how much information you can communicate publicly, it is extremely important that other readers see you respond. Post a public comment asking the customers to contact you directly with more details, or offer a solution in your post up front. This way readers will see that you are actively engaged in resolving the complaint. Then handle the rest in private as necessary.
Social media management can be tricky when consumers are able to post open criticisms for others to read. You need to be proactive about protecting your luxury jewelry brands by responding quickly and effectively to negative Yelp posts. In some cases the upset customer may go back online and post a glowing review once they've been helped.
If you need help understanding community management and how to properly address reviews, please feel free to contact us for a free consultation with one of our jewelry marketing experts.