Last week I was reminded just how important the basics are.  Again.

We have regular webinars at Renter’s Voice and Ellis Partners.  Believe it or not, we have been talking about reviews and reputation management twice a month for over a year, and we still haven’t run out of content.  I'm not saying it has been easy. I always rack my brain figuring out how I can continue to make this topic interesting, but I think I have finally learned that it’s not necessary.

It doesn't matter how creative or granular I get with topics, because people want to be reminded of the basics.  They want to continue to discuss how to respond to reviews.  They want to share ideas and learn from their peer's mistakes. 

We can, and do, easily get caught up in the latest tools or technology.  But it still comes down to one thing.  How we make our residents and prospects feel.  And this is where we often fail.  What reads appropriate and safe often sounds extremely cold and corporate.

I get it.  Responding to reviews isn’t easy, but it is a lot easier when you are sincere. This means you also have to be honest with yourself.  Respond kindly and mean what you say.  Scripts, responses from corporate zombies, or a complete lack of a response is not an appropriate solution. 

Continue to teach your teams the basics of responding to reviews and feedback.  Teach them how to be a real person online and further develop relationships.  And, teach them how to receive feedback.  That’s something most of us, myself included, have to constantly strive to improve. 

So, what makes a good response to a review?  Here are 4 simple steps to craft an honest and sincere response.

1. Say thank you. 
   Period.  It doesn’t matter if the review was good, bad or indifferent.  Always say thank you.
2. Directly address their specific points
   Don’t talk around it or be generic.  Face it head on.
3. Honestly explain your plan to correct the issue
   They are going to hold you accountable, so do not over promise. 
4. Close with an invitation.
   This might be an invite to continue the conversation offline.  Or, it might be invite to continue providing feedback.  Always close with an invitation because you want to learn from your customers so you can keep improving your customer experience. 

And this is about as scripted as you should get.  Remove the handcuffs that come with most scripts and let the personalities of your properties shine.  After all, they closed the lease the first time.