Prioritize Online Customer Reviews

I don’t know about you, but I always check out online reviews before making any big purchases.

Take buying new tires for example.

Imagine desperately needing new tires and walking in to see technicians who don’t know what they are doing. After quickly pulling up other local reviews, this customer could head straight to your shop because of positive online reviews.

That is, if you even utilize online reviews at all. In this Tire Review Continental Tire Garage Studio video, we tell you why online customer reviews are crucial to maintaining business success.

No matter how much money you spend on advertising, one of the best marketing tactics is free. Word-of-mouth advertising is a strong marketing tool because it comes in the form of real-life testimonials from actual customers.

Online customer reviews, whether it be on your website or Google, are a highly effective form of word-of-mouth advertising that businesses can use for little to no cost at all. Despite a company’s reputation, around 80% of consumers look at online reviews before making a large purchase.

How do you utilize reviews in your shop? Do you have a method for convincing customers to leave them? Even if they are extremely happy with the service, just getting a customer to leave a review can be like pulling teeth.

Sure, some folks will leave reviews on their own but, be careful, some will have an axe to grind! According to Northwestern University’s Spiegel Digital and Database Research Center, the average rating of an unprompted review is 3.89 stars (out of 5) where a prompted review averages 4.34 stars.

While customers may appreciate your hard work and everything you did for them, it’s up to you to encourage them to go out of their way to post about it after the fact.

Most of the time, this is as easy as telling your counter staff to suggest customers leave reviews. However, not everyone will remember to do so. You can also use software that connects with your POS system and ask customers to fill out a review before they leave.

Simply requesting a review from a customer shows that you value their thoughts and could result in a lasting connection with them. Consistently receiving reviews can have a significant impact on how well your business performs in search engine results, which is also crucial for drawing in more customers.

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TJ Beroth comes from a long line of proud independent tire dealers that have demonstrated passion for serving their community. And TJ is no exception. TJ’s grandfather, Tom, started Mock-Beroth Tire & Automotive in 1966 with the Mock brothers in the greater Winston-Salem area. It started as a recapping business and has evolved to 11 retail locations today. TJ’s dad, T, took over for Tom in the late 70s and developed the motto of “do more, give more” within the communities the business serves. After T passed away from ALS last year, TJ took over the helm as president, overseeing the operations of seven stores under Beroth Tire & Automotive, as he continues his family’s legacy.