[Podcast] RR 483 – Managing On-Line Reviews – Kim Walker and Mitch Meier

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Kim Walker from Shop Marketing Pros is a social media expert. Kim’s experience includes a school counselor and teacher. Her husband Brian, started his own shop while he was a Mercedes technician in North Carolina. Then asked Kim to leave her school job and join his service business. Then for specific reasons left to go back home to Louisiana. It was almost destiny that they engaged with Shop Marketing Pros. As a former shop owner, Kim’s advice and expertise on social media is perfectly matched because she’s been there and done that.

She is on the Car Care Council’s Women’s Board, an ATI and Management Success Graduate, and their shop was a Motor Age Top Shop winner two years in a row. Their shop experience is without question, so when she talks about social media as it relates to the automotive service professional, she has the experience that matters. Look for Kim’s other episodes HERE.

Mitch Meier has 10 years of experience as a sales professional and real estate leasing agent. In previous roles, Mitch provided analytics and insights to support the management of national healthcare real estate databases and commercial real estate portfolios. He closed over 170 new accounts representing $1.4M in revenue, exceeding sales goals by nearly 300%. Now, with Broadly, Mitch liases with local businesses to conduct needs assessments and design growth plans leveraging end-to-end customer engagement strategies. In his spare time, Mitch enjoys football, playing golf, and spending time with his family (including a 2-year old daughter and puppy

 

Key Talking Points

• People are afraid to get a negative review. They should embrace them
• Reviews are a gift to you
• A negative review can help identify problems you didn’t know you had
• It can help in staff development
• You may not earn that customer back but you can win other customers on how you handled them
• Consumers look at negative reviews first looking at the human factor
• The smart consumer should put negative reviews into context. There may be just a few our of hundreds
• Some people are negative and will always find fault. Consumers can see through that
• When you get a negative review you must stop, pause and catch your breath. Get the complete story
• As a shop owner, you have their phone number. Call the client
• Be sure you are checking your email to discover a negative review. Timing is critical
• Don’t respond until you cool off. Initial instincts are to attack, not recommended without research and discussion with the customer
• People want authenticity, transparency and that you are genuine
• Own up to your mistake and respond with heart and not defensively. I you  can take it off-line
• Emotions fade and reviews are based on emotions
• Best response rates are right away. Ask for a review
• People believe life isn’t perfect so they will never give a 5 star only 4 star
• You may think you have a 5-star review coming, but people will never give a top rating. It is in their make-up
• Three different types of customers
  • Detractor. Leaving one or two-star
  • Passive possible a three stars
  • The promoter will leave a four or five star
• Don’t let a four-star hurt you
• We should work outside our comfort zone all the time
• Consider a team scorecard on reviews and offer rewards to the team
  • Idea for every 10 we get lunch
  • Know what your people want and deliver a specific reward

 

Resources:

• Thanks to Kim Walker and Mitch Meier for their contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
• Link to the ‘BOOKS‘ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.
• Love what we do, buy a cup of coffee HERE.

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Subscribe to a mobile listening app HERE.

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