Best Approach When Requesting Reviews from Customers

You’ve put together a great mortgage deal and your client is happy. Do you know how to ask your customer for a review?

Getting a mortgage is a major financial decision—one that will affect your clients for years to come. As a mortgage broker, you do everything you can to find just the right mortgage solution for every client. Did you succeed? The best way to find out is by asking.

And you do have to ask. Once your client has taken on a mortgage, they have a lot on their minds, and leaving a review is not at the top of their to-do list. It’s not that they don’t want to; they may not think about it. If they say no or don’t reply, you’ve lost nothing by asking.

First things first: just request a review

The best time to ask for a client review is immediately after you complete a deal. Send them an email, thank them for their business, ask for their feedback and get them to share their experience. Make it personal by addressing them by name and including yours.

Keep these tips in mind when asking:

• Use a courteous and professional tone and explain why you are asking for a review.
• In your email, include your request for them to provide you with a review and provide links to two or three of your review platform options.
• While you have their attention, request permission to use their review as a testimonial in your marketing.
• Take the opportunity to get a referral. If they’re giving you a positive review, they might be willing to pass your information along to others. Make it easy for them to do by building an attachment with your contact information. They can easily forward this to friends and family.

If you happen to be on the phone with your client, ask if they would mind providing a review and send them the appropriate review links right after.

Make it easy to write a review by preparing ahead of time

Decide how you want to use the reviews and set up the necessary accounts or online forms. Look at general online review sites such as Google My Business and Yelp, as well as sites specific to your business. Don’t forget about Facebook and other social media platforms. Be sure to read the terms of any review site you subscribe to—some do not allow you to solicit reviews.

Remember these Dos and Don’ts:

Do:

• Request the review right away while it is fresh in your mind and theirs. Make your request part of your process to close the file.
• Make positive comments work for you in every way you can. Use it in marketing and on your website.
• Be open to constructive criticism.
• Follow up if the opportunity presents itself. People have good intentions but get busy. If you’re talking to your client again, feel free to slip in a reminder.

Don’t:

• Avoid customer feedback from unhappy clients. You can learn a lot from these experiences and improve service for the next client. Simply send them a private email asking for feedback.
• Promise gifts or incentives to provide a review; you can bias the review.
• Post client reviews to a review platform on their behalf. They need to post it directly.

Looking for a great deal for your clients? Contact us today and talk to one of our underwriters or business development managers.