When receiving positive reviews online, company managers tend not to respond, and when they do, they often repeat the praise, as in, “We agree, our steak is the best.”
The problem is that both can come across as self-serving or arrogant. The best approach, according to researchers at the Alberta School of Business, is to downplay the compliment and deflect to others — in other words, to be humble.
Since 90 per cent of consumers now rely on reviews when making purchase decisions, and more than 70 per cent expect managers to respond, the right approach can boost business and encourage further engagement, say researchers Katherine Lafreniere, Sarah Moore and Mohamad Soltani.
“Compared to managers that do not respond and those who write responses currently recommended by industry or academics, managers that downplay compliments improve readers’ evaluations of the firm and engagement on the platform,” say the study’s authors.
One easy way to downplay praise is to echo a reviewer’s reference to a “fantastic meal” by saying, “so glad you had a good meal.”
In short, be modest, give credit to your team or suppliers and keep your tone warmly professional rather than boastful.