In today’s digital world of business, customer reviews play a very important role as far as the reputation of businesses and consumer purchasing decisions are concerned. However, there is one group of customers that are generally not paid attention when discussing this field – older customers. However, in the online review boards their voices are rarely portrayed despite of having abundant experience that might be unique to propound.
Such reasons can include perceived technological complexities or lack of appreciating encouragement. Online reputation management services are critical in creating business success and selling. Online reviews are almost everywhere today, thanks to the emergence of e-commerce.
Why are older customers your business pillars?
The people who trusted and supported you were probably your family, friends, and old customers when you started or at the beginning of this growth phase. These people have been making purchasing options for tens of years and have witnessed several transformations in the market.
Their opinions count not just to your company but other prospective clients looking for genuine advice. Furthermore, older customers offer substantial returns as the company moves towards more customer-oriented schemes and personalised operation.
Additionally, because more customers review businesses now, the incorporation of other perspectives becomes necessary. For example, a product may be very effective with younger customers but older people may have demands that it does not satisfy. Through the process of enabling older customers to share their reviews, businesses are able to understand various interactions of different demographic groups with their products or services.
Whether seeking for the best ORM packages or intending to collect reviews by yourself, here are the ways of achieving such valuable reviews.
Best ways to get older customers to share their reviews:
First decide what you want to capture:
The first thing you need to do is determine the outcomes that you want to achieve before approaching your consumers for the reviews. Or, perhaps you are seeking to enhance your product or service. Need to generate more awareness regarding the brand and gain customers’ trust? With this information, one can develop an accurate, focused review request because one knows the goal.
Make sure you state that you need their feedback and not just a rating. That will give them courage to say it as it is. In addition, it can also be helpful to encourage more informative reviews by concentrating on a specific satisfaction item like customer service or product quality.
Keep the review process simple:
Many older customers are not as familiar with technology as the younger demographics. As such it is important to make the review process easy and applicable. Do not use complex or multipart formats. Choose a brief and concise style, which is compatible with different types of gadgets. This will enhance chances of receiving reviews from elderly customers who may be non adores technology.
Use different platforms or channels to review because not all older customers feel comfortable with the same. Others might choose online forums while others prefer to get in touch either via a phone call or a face-to-face conversation. You should give your customers a choice between at least two options for sharing the feedback and let them take the one they like most.
It’s important to reward them:
It is important to show that you value your customers’ time and efforts to review. This is particularly the case of older customers who might not have gotten used to leaving reviews, as is common with the younger generation. Encourage respondents to share their feedback by, for example offering prizes in the form of future discounts or entry into a prize draw.
For instance, you can give special discounts or offers to older customers only, write them handwritten thank-you notes or just feature their reviews on your website and/or social media channels. The rewards should be authentic and based on the specific needs of the mature consumers so as to give them a sense of worth.
Respect their opinions:
It is not correct to underestimate the older customer because they have more experience and knowledge. So while asking for a review, think of their opinions and respect them. This will also indicate that your company respects the feedback from every customer regardless of their age and background. It may also foster trust and a sense of goodwill among older customers, resulting in the development of long-term relationships with your brand.
Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with their opinions; always provide a professional and respectful response. It might also help to build a positive relationship with your older customers, as well, demonstrating that you really want their feedback.
Provide them examples of how you want reviews from them:
Your older clients may have good review for your firm but they do not know how to write a review. For instance, offering some patterns or empowering them with templates not only helps to articulate some thoughts but also make them fearlessly share their feedback. It can also ensure that the reviews are relevant and useful to potential customers.
A good idea would be to make a short video on the process, or provide step-by-step instructions in your email, or web. You can help older customers to share their reviews with more confidence by providing them guidance and making the process easier for them. Additionally, this demonstrates that your company respects the opinions of older customers and is committed to meeting their requirements.
In conclusion, it is important to empower older consumers in order to encourage them write reviews leading to trust and loyalty for this group. Respect their opinions, reply in a professional manner and give guidance so as to make the review process accessible and valuable for both your company and older customers. Therefore, remember to include them as one of the groups in your feedback strategy and cull some golden nuggets.
In 2023, where storytelling for branding is important, honest, authentic testimonials from older customers can also assist in your brand enhancing the brand’s storytelling. These reviews can focus on older customers’ positive experiences and satisfaction with the company’s product, making your brand more relatable and trustworthy to prospects.
