The 5-Star Review Formula
Here's how one of my businesses generated 364 5-star reviews and one pesky little 4-star that keeps us humble.
Before we dive in: I was honored to speak to 25 physicians the week before last. They are all medical directors at Vituity, a physician-owned partnership that serves 690+ sites across the US. I think our session went well. Here's what one leader said afterwards:
"Scott really surpassed my expectations. It was a fantastic day, and I appreciate the thought, time, customization, and energy he brought to the retreat. I received several subsequent texts from attendees about how invigorating his content was."
-Lauren Sheely, Operations Consultant
If you are looking for a speaker for your upcoming event, drop me an email at scott@scottmonday.com. I'd love to collaborate...
Back to biz.
I was a bit reluctant to write this newsletter. Mainly, because it sounds so, um, braggy... is that a word?
But, I keep getting asked about our online reviews at kbCRATE. And often, it's with skepticism.
In fact, I was running a lead just last month, and the homeowner, a former business owner in her own right, asked me "how we've done it." (Alluding to our 364 out of 365 5-star online reviews, with the lone non-5-star being 4-star...)
This wasn't a "how have you done it because I'm impressed!" moment.
No, this was a "how have you figured out how to game the system?"
So, I explained how our team approaches customer satisfaction, how we screen our customers, the absurd things we do to make someone happy, and how we actually collect reviews.
We went far down the rabbit hole. "Well, you figured it out!" she surmised.
I wish.
But we've done well in this regard, so I'm sharing the formula. Perhaps you can pick up some principles that will help you get similar results.
Here we go!
Principle 1: Make Sure You Have Great People
It all leads back to this, right? On almost every business and leadership topic?
Reviews are no different.
Quite simply, you need people who care. Like, truly, deeply care. Care about the customer. Care about the company. Care about the quality of their output.
Without this, it all falls apart.
A great tell when it comes to identifying these rare gems: they get upset, like really down in the dumps, when they make a mistake. It's not a "we're all human" reaction. Or a "nothing I can do" approach. No, it's a visceral, fall-on-the-sword, I-should-resign-over-this type of ownership. Once again, so hard to find, but so valuable.
And also, you must have all A-players. Not B, not C. But A.
Now, might a C or B be heading towards an A as they learn and grow? Perhaps. But at their core, they are As. They just haven't emerged yet.
If someone reveals themselves as an innate B or below, make them available to industry.
Egads, that sounds cold!
Principle 2: Screen Out the "Crazy"
I wrote a while back about how to handle the occasional "crazy" who slips through, but really, it's so much better to cut them off at the pass.
We do that through a very detailed process over multiple conversations. Phone. In person number 1. In person number 2. In person number 3. So, before we even sign a contract with someone, we've been in significant contact with them for 6-10 hours over four interactions.
What are we looking for? Um, unreasonable behavior. That's it. We can all tell when we encounter this, right? It's not hard.
The hard part is walking away. "What if they get mad?" "What if I was wrong and they're actually great?" "What if we need the work?"
Well, maybe. But more likely, you're right, and you'll avoid a massive headache.
Principle 3: Appease the Unreasonable
What if one of the "unreasonables" slips through?
Well, it's time to put on your big boy/girl pants (or both!) and get through it. Appease them. Go all out to make them happy.
Remember, this is about the long game, and positive online reviews are a long game.
This may cost you a lot of money. (Once I replaced an entire natural wood floor because, get this, it had knots. The wood had knots. That, to this customer, was unacceptable...) But I've found it helpful to consider these "appeasement payments" just a different form of marketing costs.
"Scott, you let people take advantage of you?" Yes, occasionally. Gladly. With a smile. Because here's the deal. I'm smiling because soon the relationship will be over, they'll be (unreasonable) but happy, and we'll maintain our reputation. What's not so smile about?
(BTW, we've all seen the online business profiles where the owner is someone who "stands on principle." They respond to every negative review with a barrage of excuses, reasons, and fiction. And it's a bad look. Even if they are "right," they look wrong.)
Principle 4: Have a Review-Collecting Process
Everything that works in a business or organization has a process behind it. Things don't "just work." There are no late-night elves that come in after hours and fix things.
And reviews are no different.
Your review-gathering process must mention or ask for the review seven times along the way. You must mention up front that you expect to deliver 5-star service. You must request that they tell you when you fall short. You must request a commitment to leave a 5-star review if you perform well. You must then perform well. You must then ask for the review. You must then remind. You must then send a nice little gift and ask again.
Yes, it sounds like badgering, but what we've found is that people want to reward 5-star service. They really do. Sometimes they just need to be reminded of their experience!
So there you go, the four principles behind building a stellar online reputation.
Need help with any of these steps in your own business or organization? Drop me a note at scott@scottmonday.com.
Thanks for reading this post. I appreciate you. In return, please share this with those you know who may be interested.
Free Guide: 🚀 Build Your AI Dream Team (In One Day)
I created 10 Custom GPTs to handle key roles inside my business—CFO, ops, marketing, HR, and more.
The full guide includes templates, my step-by-step setup, and how we rolled it out across the team.
Things I've Enjoyed Lately: One cool thing about recent advancements in AI is the ability to process large quantities of audio. We use Fireflies.AI, ChatGPT, and Descript for tasks like these, but without quality audio, these tools fall short. Well, the Hollyland Lavalier Mics solve this. Super small. Plug right into your cell phone USB-C. Come with a charging case. Magnetic. They are great. I’ve been touting them to nearly everyone I chat with about nerdy tech things.