Trust is the be-all and end-all in online retailing. Reviews and testimonials in particular serve as an orientation aid for customers and have long since ceased to be limited to products. Seals of quality such as the Trusted Shops rating give visitors a safe feeling when shopping online. But how can retailers get more and better Trusted Shops ratings?
The right moment to ask for a store review
If you look at the entire customer journey, the moment of unpacking is certainly the most emotional from the customer’s point of view. It is precisely when a customer holds his package in his hands and is delighted with the contents that he is particularly receptive. This is the ideal moment to ask for a Trusted Shops rating. If your customer is positively surprised, he will act according to the motto “tit for tat”. This is a basic human principle, scientifically researched under the term reciprocity.
In the ideal case, you send your customer a short message directly after receiving the goods, inquire whether everything is in order and ask for a Trusted Shops rating. Such messages can be implemented, for example, with our proactive shipping messages.
Personalization creates proximity
The more personal the package, the more the customer tends to build a positive feeling towards the merchant. Above all, this principle applies when the customer sees a single person rather than a large company behind the package. Accordingly, personalized and unconventional addresses have the potential to inspire when unpacking and thus increase the likelihood of positive ratings.
A good example is the fashion retailer Hirmer, which attaches a card to its packages, on which the name of the packer of the shipment is written. This creates a personal connection between the shipper and the customer. Outfitters goes to even greater lengths by enclosing a handwritten message from the “personal advisor.” After this experience, the customer wants to give something back to the shipper, i.e. the retailer, out of gratitude. This offers opportunities for the store owner – they can include a request for a rating right in the package
Ask your customers for a Trusted Shops rating at the ideal time.
Subsequent reviews
A rating directly at or immediately after receipt of the goods is certainly the most likely. The customer is still caught up in the “emotional high” of the unpacking experience and is inclined to rate the store positively. Nevertheless, there are ways to make a request after the fact, such as in notification emails. An e-mail informing the customer that the package has been successfully delivered is very likely to be opened. Here, a “Rate store” button can be used.The selection option “Rate store later” can also be very helpful. If the customer presses this button, another email with a rating request will be sent after a certain number of days. If you are sure that your customer was satisfied, it is possible to ask for a rating in any case. If the customer does not rate you, you can ask (by phone or email) if the customer can not take the time to rate you. However, you should make sure that you do not seem too pushy!
The three golden rules of a Trusted Shops rating:
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- Accessibility: make it as easy as possible for your customers. A rating should cost the customer as little time as possible.
- Stay authentic. Reviews that are forced by discounts or other offers look unserious. Recommendations should not be written yourself, this leads at most to short-term success. Reviews must be independent and look genuine, otherwise they are given little confidence.
- Respond to feedback as quickly as possible and try to solve any problems as soon as possible. Even with positive feedback, a “thank you” is well received by the customer.
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