A single fake review can tarnish years of a hard-earned reputation for your self storage facility. Current data from luisazhou.com reveals that 95% of buyers consult online reviews prior to making a decision to purchase goods or services.

As these reviews increasingly influence potential customers’ buying decisions, self storage facility owners face a growing challenge: identifying and preventing fraudulent feedback.

From damaging your brand’s credibility to potential legal consequences, fake reviews pose a significant threat. Nevertheless, armed with the right knowledge and tools, you can protect your business and maintain its stellar online reputation.

FineView Marketing, a StorSuite partner, excels in leveraging cutting-edge technology to obtain feedback and foster a continuous loop of fresh reviews. Our team crafts custom-tailored responses and consistently evaluates customer sentiment. If you want streamlined operations and increased overall customer satisfaction, call FineView Marketing today.

How to Spot Fake Reviews

Here are a few tips that you can use to spot fake reviews.

Verify the User

Reviews should be tied to a transaction or an interaction between the customer and your business. After the customer leases a unit, their information (name, email, and phone number) should be recorded in customer relationship management (CRM) software.

Fineview Marketing connects directly to the CRM to get the latest and most accurate customer updates. A link is sent requesting feedback. This ensures that the product is still fresh in the customer’s mind, and that the review is written by a genuine customer.

Check the User’s Profile

Look for red flags. Be wary if you see a large number of positive reviews for the same product, lack of social activity, or copy-pasted comments by the user. Go a step further by comparing their review with that of another reviewer. This presents a better perception of the type of person or entity you’re dealing with.

Lack of Specifics

Fake reviews are often hastily written with a lack of specific details.

Repeat Brand Mentions

If the product name is mentioned repeatedly and the reviews have a promotional feel, they may have been written by marketers, not consumers.

Consider the Wording

Notice awkward sentence structure, unusual language, or grammatical mistakes. This could suggest outsourced review services.

Eliminate Bias

The best way to get truthful reviews is to encourage all of your customers to share feedback. If only a small percentage of customers submit reviews, there is a risk of biased feedback. Ideally, the reviewer pool should match the whole customer universe.

The best way to do that is to have feedback from as many customers as possible. Request reviews from every customer that visits your self storage location.

Respond to All Reviews

Businesses that consistently respond to reviews see fewer attempts of review fraud. Regularly check your review platforms to stay on top of customer feedback.

Responding to online reviews and addressing problems immediately builds an emotional connection. Customers feel valued when there is a genuine commitment to resolution.

Conclusion

Vigilance against fake feedback is not just advisable—it’s essential. With a staggering 95% of potential customers consulting reviews before making a purchase, the impact can be profound.

While the challenge of identifying and preventing fraudulent reviews may seem daunting, rest assured that it can be accomplished with the right tools.

By partnering with experts like FineView Marketing, you can leverage cutting-edge technology and strategies to ensure your online presence accurately reflects the quality of your self storage business.

Don’t let the fear of fake reviews hold you back. Embrace the power of authentic customer feedback to drive your business forward. Review your current feedback management practices and consider how you can implement a more robust system for gathering and responding to customer reviews.

Your reputation is your most valuable asset—protect it and nurture it and your business will thrive.