Using Software to Engage With Business Reviews

RCS Influencer Trent Cotney says that using software to engage with your reviews can help you better interface with your customers.

Editor's note: The following is a transcript of a conversation between Megan Ellsworth, our multimedia manager, and Trent Cotney, partner of Adams and Reese. You can listen to the interview or read the transcript below.

Megan Ellsworth: Hello, everyone. My name is Megan Ellsworth here at RoofersCoffeeShop.com, and I'm back again for a roofing influencer response with Trent Cotney. Hi, Trent.

Trent Cotney: Hey. How's it going? 

Megan Ellsworth: Going good. This one's topic is pretty interesting. It's all about reviews and the question is, what is new with reviews in software solutions that are helping roofing companies get more reviews, keep their good reviews, and handle bad reviews? So let's dive in, Trent. What do you think?

Trent Cotney: Yeah. So I think there's a lot of great new software out there and companies that engage in these kind of reviews. I see them when I go to trade shows or I hear about them through RoofersCoffeeShop or other places. And I think it's a great opportunity to interface with your customers and get an understanding of where you are, customer service wise. And I'm a big believer that great customer service eliminates the need for lawyers, which is bad for me, but it's good for contractors.

So I think, if you use these third parties, it gives you an opportunity to not only be able to get more positive reviews, but to try to inrun any of the negativity before it results in something bad that's on the internet or social media or elsewhere. So I think it's a great idea. Obviously, reputation management is critical. We live in a world where, I read a stat, 76% of every consumer out there looks at reviews before they make a choice. So if that's the case, then you definitely have to be mindful of that. You have to understand what your public perception is. And now, it's everything digital. So managing that through a third-party company or software or whatever it might be is the way to go.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, well said. That's so true. And then a lot of times, once those reviews are up, they are on the internet forever, like you said.

Trent Cotney: Right.

Megan Ellsworth: Lastly, if a contractor got a bad review, how would you suggest they handle that?

Trent Cotney: Sure. So I'll try not to give you a lawyer answer, but it depends. So if it is a bad review that is based on a bad customer experience, you never respond with negativity. You never fire back at the person and say they're stupid or anything like that. You always respond from a customer service standpoint. And I always like to say something along the lines of, "We pride ourselves in customer service. If you reach out to us, we'll try to make things right. Please contact me directly." And really, what you're doing, it's not so much how you deal with that person, it's the response that others see. So your future customers are going to see how that response is.

Now, if for some reason what is said is false or defamatory, or they say that you're a crook or you're a thief or something like that, those kinds of statements are actionable. So there are steps that you can take on the websites where they're posted. You can send a cease and desist letter. And if all of that fails, you can always file suit. That's always the last resort. But again, if it's just a not satisfied with the end result, always respond from a customer service standpoint because it's not so much about that review, it's about everyone else looking at your reviews in the future.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, well said. Well, I hope everyone out there listening and reading this got some good tidbits. I know I did. Well, thanks, Trent. That was great and I will be chatting with you next month.

Trent Cotney: Sounds good. Thanks so much.