Now that we all live our lives online, online reviews have become more important than ever. For heating and air conditioning companies, that means that word of mouth recommendations are no longer enough to attract customers. Because of this, competitive HVAC service providers should be paying close attention to their online reviews.
When a potential customer searches for HVAC services online, they are likely to consult the top rated or best reviewed service in the area. The question becomes, how do you make your HVAC reviews the best out of your competitors. Keep reading to find out how to put together an online review strategy that is sure to get the word out about your excellent service.
Why Online HVAC Reviews Are So Important For Local Heating and Cooling Businesses
When consumers are looking for a trustworthy heating and cooling repair service, most will consult online HVAC reviews before making a final decision
Though many people still get recommendations for HVAC services through their friends and family, the truth is that most of your new customers will have consulted online reviews before hiring you. If the majority of your potential customer base is seeing negative reviews —or worse, no reviews for your company — it is very likely they’ll begin to search elsewhere. Not to mention, many consumers reported not even considering patronizing businesses with under a 4 star rating.
So, if your online reviews are too few or too negative, it could directly affect your profits. Let’s discuss some of the ways that you can avoid the most common mistakes when it comes to HVAC review management.
The Most Important Sites for HVAC Reviews
Know which review sites are the most highly visible to your customer base
Let’s start with the basics of online HVAC reviews. To begin, we’ll be discussing the most important review sites you need to pay attention to. These sites act as the front page for your businesses because — in most cases — customers will read reviews before they even visit your website.
Google My Business
The most important reviews to pay attention to are the ones that appear on Google My Business. Google is the most widely used search engine in the U.S., which places Google My Business reviews at the top of most search results. If your Google My Business page has a few thoughtful and positive reviews of your HVAC service, it's likely that you’ll appear much more trustworthy to customers. On the other hand, if your Google My Business listing has negative, vague, or too few reviews, consumers will interpret your listing as untrustworthy.
The second most important platform to consider when auditing your online HVAC reviews is Facebook. Next to Google, Facebook has the most widely consulted business reviews on the internet. Your Facebook business profile also allows your information to be shared with others via posts or messenger, making a Facebook business listing almost like the new word of mouth recommendation. When your page is shared, your company reviews are shared with it. Because your Facebook reviews are so highly shareable, you want to make sure you are garnering as many helpful reviews from customers as possible.
How to Ask Your Customer Base for their Feedback
You might be shocked to find that people are more than willing to share their thoughts in the review section
Now that we’ve discussed why online review sections are so important for HVAC companies, let’s talk a little bit about how you can get some more positive and genuinely helpful reviews on your Google My Business and Facebook pages.
First of all, it is important to note that you shouldn’t tell your customers to leave positive reviews, or your business could come off as disingenuous. To get more positive customer reviews on your page, you should encourage customers to leave honest and detailed reviews. More often than not, customers who have contracted your HVAC service will want to share their positive experiences with your team. Of course, a few negative reviews are to be expected, but even a handful of negative reviews can prove to be opportunities to show off your excellent customer service.
How to Respond to Positive or Negative Reviews
Helpful responses to any type of review will help boost your online presence
When you start receiving feedback from your customers online, the best thing to do is reply to every review. Though this sounds like a lot of work, it shows that your HVAC services prioritizes your customer's opinions.
When it comes to negative reviews, a reply from your company should hit two important points. First, your response should directly address the issue that led to the negative feedback. Once you have addressed the situation that prompted the negative response, you should apologize and and thank the reviewer for their honest feedback. By following these steps, you can turn negative reviews into opportunities for improvement. Additionally, prospective customers will see your thoughtful responses and know that your business takes customer feedback seriously.
Positive feedback, on the other hand, is much easier to reply to. All you have to do in a response to positive feedback is sincerely thank the reviewer for their kind words.
Now that we’ve explored how you can improve your online review page, it's time to get to work! Remember, people are looking for an authentic and trustworthy review page so it’s important to take your feedback seriously. By continuously monitoring your page, encouraging customer feedback, and responding to your reviews, you can increase the amount of customers that find your business online.
At Restano Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, we can address any HVAC related issues in your home as we move into the colder seasons. We only complete repair work using experienced, licensed technicians who use professional equipment that meets our standards. So, give us a call today and let us make sure your heating and cooling are running properly.
