Don’t Underestimate the Power of an Online Review
I have a great example:
When I relocated to a new state, I scoured the web to find a reputable auto repair shop. I’ve had quite a few bad experiences with auto shops in the past, and being in a new city where I didn’t know anyone who could refer me to an honest mechanic certainly didn’t help.
So, I went to my trusted friend, Yelp. (I absolutely love Yelp and pretty much read reviews for everything on this app.) I found a couple 5-star rated auto shops in my area, but there was one in particular that stood out to me. I was drawn to this shop because a few of the reviews were from women my age who explained how, as women, it wasn’t easy to find a mechanic who wasn’t trying to “pull one over on you” because of your sex, yet this mechanic was trustworthy.
I know the you’re-a-clueless-woman look all too well from my past dealings with mechanics, so I completely agreed with their statements and was even more interested in this auto repair shop.
The drawback? I couldn’t find an “official” website for this shop; it only had Yelp reviews and other listings, like on whitepages.com.
When researching a company, it’s usually my first criterion that the business has a website where I can learn more information, yet based off the Yelp reviews (and my car’s dire and urgent issues) I decided to give this shop a try.
And, boy, was I happy with my decision.
On the phone, the mechanic took the time to explain how my vehicle worked so I could understand why my car was having problems (given what I told him was truly the issue). He squeezed me into his already tight schedule so that I wouldn’t be without a car for too long, and even offered me a “loaner” car to drive while I waited for my vehicle to be repaired.
This was a local, family owned shop that had been in business for years, yet it didn’t have the commercials, logos or even the “comfortable” waiting area of a franchise shop like Midas or Meineke.
When I returned to pickup my car (just a few hours later), he showed me everything he’d done under the hood, even offering me tips on how to check certain parts on my car.
His work was well done and affordable (not to mention a two-year warranty on his labor) and his service was more than professional. After my first experience, I wholeheartedly agreed with the reviews I’d read on Yelp and planned to use his shop from there on out.
One thing I noticed was his business was booming. The shop had a stream of cars to work/being worked on and new customers arrived when I dropped off my car and when I picked it up. Besides the Yelp reviews, I wondered how in the world people knew about this small local shop that wasn’t fancy like an NTB store or well advertised like Jiffy Lube.
Do you know what he told me?
Word of mouth.
That’s it. The majority of his customers are “lifetime” customers and his new business comes from others spreading the word about his services.
Again, let me say: Don’t underestimate the power of a review.
If you’re looking to attract top talent to your business, don’t overlook your online presence and reputation. Research to discover what people are saying about you, and make sure it’s positive because job seekers are certainly paying attention.
In fact, a Glassdoor survey of 4,633 job seekers revealed that nearly half of all respondents use Glassdoor at some point in their job search. And research shows that job seekers believe in sharing their experiences (whether good or bad) about a company with family, friends and on social media. Their referral of companies and likelihood of using a business’ products or services in the future are also based on their experiences.
We are living in the ‘age of reviews’ where people have no problem sharing their experiences about everything—and that includes a company and its brand. Don’t underestimate the impact an online review or word-of-mouth can have on the success (or failure) of your business.