Most businesses experience a dip in their rapport with customers — even top self-storage facilities. It takes strategy to recover from such an extreme hit. Whether your self-storage facility received terrible reviews, dealt with a pest problem, or experienced a costly cyberattack, here’s how to rebound.
Identify the Negative Press
It’s imperative to identify what damaged your company’s reputation in the first place. Are there a slew of negative reviews on a search engine, such as Google or Bing, drowning out anything positive? Is an unhappy customer spreading negative news about your services on social media? Is a former employee or competitor taking their issues to YouTube? Was there a break-in or other incident?
Once you pinpoint where the negative press is circulating, it’s time to use those same platforms to spread a new message. Instead of going on the defense, consider a more forward-thinking approach to rebuilding your reputation.
Boost Positive Reviews
Before you dive into reputation recovery mode, remember that several platforms can boost your self-storage facility rankings online. Consider Pinterest, YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, to name a few popular platforms. Revamping your social media profiles works in tandem with prominent search engines, meaning information crosses over from one another.
Resolve Issues
First, if a tenant genuinely has an issue with your facility, own up to your company’s failures. Apologize publicly and swiftly. Not only does this display a sense of responsibility, but it shows that you honestly want to fix problems or cracks in your business. Keep in mind that an unhappy customer tells ten people, but a customer with resolved issues tells twice as many. Identify clear and concrete steps that you will take to resolve the problem and prevent it from reoccuring.
Use Content Marketing
Another valuable bonus to the Digital Age is that content marketing is highly influential. You can reach a large audience while establishing yourself as an expert in your industry. Perhaps you publish helpful how-to blog posts or offer downloadable checklists for tenants. Regardless of the specific topics you choose to write about, try to view your business from the customer’s point of view. Give them what they need on the platforms they visit.
Feature Testimonials
Remember to use testimonials to improve your reputation. Not every tenant is out to sink your reputation. Ask current tenants to write positive reviews on search engines and social media platforms. Additionally, feature these testimonials on your website so that prospective tenants can read them.
Take Customer Cues
Lastly, take your cues from your customers. They already know what they want from your business, so listen intently to their expectations. Be straightforward — ask customers what they want out of your business, and take those suggestions to heart. Don’t forget to reward existing and loyal customers. The bread-and-butter tenants can do wonders for your reputation, so give them a pat on the back now and then.
Recovering from a damaged reputation is a tall order — but it’s not impossible, and you don’t need to buy your reputation back with false promises. Put in the work, and you’ll boost your reputation in due time.