That’s kind of what it’s like when you don’t respond to your customer’s online reviews. At best, it appears apathetic, like you just don’t care. At worst, it comes off as rude. 

Now, don’t get all down on yourself about it. It’s not your fault. Few people teach this.

You didn’t know. Now you do. 

A Missed Opportunity

As a small business owner and notary entrepreneur, ignoring reviews is a missed opportunity to connect with your customers and your prospects. 

We already know that your customers only come from two places when you’re a mobile notary: 

• Through your online visibility;
• And your network of relationships. 

Responding to reviews helps on both fronts. Two birds, one stone. 

Three Reasons Notaries Should Respond to Every Review

1. Responding to reviews demonstrates gratitude and appreciation for the customer who left it. Plus, it’s polite, especially if you’re asking for those reviews.
2. Responding to reviews cultivates goodwill with prospective clients. 90% of consumers use reviews to make buying and hiring decisions. It’s not just about the reviews themselves, but how (and whether) an owner responds and engages with their customers.
3. Responding to reviews has certain Search Engine Optimization (SEO) advantages. You can utilize keywords and phrases you want to rank for in search engines, and enhance your online visibility.

How to Respond to a Positive Review About Your Notary Business

Okay, so your client follows through and actually publishes a glowing review of your notary services on Google Business Profile. How do you respond? 

• Personalize it. Keeping client privacy in mind, make your response as personal and uncanned as possible. If their name is part of their public profile, use it. If you remember aspects of their appointment, use them. 
• Optimize it. Think about the keywords and phrases you hope to rank for in search engines, and use them in your response. 
• Geographize it. Yes, I made that word up, but you get it. Loop your specific service areas and location into your response. This is actually part of optimization, but it’s so important I wanted to highlight it separately. 

Let’s put all this together now. 

Say you get this review from [email protected]: 

“Notary Bill was amazing! He totally understood the trust documents my family needed signed and notarized. Even our attorney was impressed! Highly recommend!”

Here’s one way you could respond that blends all three methods above:

“Thank you so much, Blanche! I loved meeting you and your family (and your fur-babies too!). As a mobile notary in Dunedin, Florida, I love to help with estate planning documents. It brings such peace of mind!  I’ll stay in touch, so keep your eye on your mailbox!” 

See. Piece of cake. 

But it’s not all rainbows and unicorns, right? 

How Notaries Can Respond to Negative Reviews

Negative reviews happen. Sometimes justifiably. Sometimes not. Regardless, respond. 

And here are a few guidelines for those responses to negative reviews:

• Breathe first. If you’re emotionally triggered by a review, wait before you respond. Breathe. Sleep. Walk. Run. Whatever it takes, wait until the emotional charge is dissipated before you respond. 
• Acknowledge, don’t defend. You don’t have to admit they are right. Just acknowledge that they’re heard. 
• Take the conversation and resolution offline. Let them know you’re open to a conversation and you’re committed to a win-win, and offer contact solutions like email or phone to resolve. In my experience, most people who post negative reviews publicly aren’t that interested in resolution. They just want to complain. And that’s fine, your response isn’t for them alone. It’s for your prospective clients that are watching how you handle situations that don’t go according to plan. 

Want to see it in action? 

Let’s say you get this review on your Google Business Profile from  [email protected]: 

“Notary Bill is a dumpster fire!!!!🔥🔥🔥 He told me he would be at my office at 9:00am and didn’t even arrive at my front desk until 8:55am!!!! I don’t know WHAT world he grew up in, but in my world, if you’re not 15 minutes early, YOU’RE LATE!!!!! Unacceptable! AND…He wore white shoes AFTER Labor Day!!! Ugh,Avoid this notary at all costs!!!

Here’s how you could respond:

First, Woooo-Saaaahhh. Remember to breathe and let the emotional charge pass. 

Then, “Thank you for sharing your concerns, Frieda. I take pride in my punctuality and integrity, and I was unaware of your concerns at the time of our appointment. Rest assured, I’ll be in touch and committed to a win-win solution. I can also be reached at [email protected] if you’d like to reach out right away.”

Remember, it’s not about Frieda Claxton.

It’s about your next customer, the one witnessing your response.

Minor adjustments to your business operations, like responding to reviews, can make all the difference in your online visibility and the cultivation of goodwill in your current and future relationships. 

Read the Whole Series on Client Reviews:

Why Customer Reviews Matter So Much 

Choosing the Best Platforms For Customer Reviews

When & How to Ask For Customer Reviews

Clients Devastated, Ignored By Unwitting Notaries

Bill Soroka is on a mission to help mobile notaries serve more clients, make more money, and build a business that thrives beyond loan signings, self-reliant & untethered to the housing industry. You can join him with the most committed notaries on earth in the Notary Business Builder learning community. 

💲Reviews = Revenue! Let me help you become a review-getting guru with access to three free lessons of my special workshop for notaries. Catch the replays of my Review-Getting Course (3-FREE Lessons) at the link below. 🤑

I’ll give you the exact strategies you need to get more reviews, and the tools to make it easy!

Access Free Course