​Many of your customers come to your business with a complete lack of knowledge.
Sure, they may have done research on their own, but they expect your employees to be the expert.

When your support team has been on board for a while, and they hear the same simple questions day in and out, a glazed over eye roll is understandable.

But the true gems of the customer service world take those FAQs and explain them in a way which doesn’t make the customer feel like a child.

That humility and respect will go a long way in the eyes of your customer, especially if they already are insecure about working with your business. So, be sure to answer
'every stupid question'.. and it will show your customers that you care.

​Source: YeahLocal

Key Statistic: 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.

Word-of-mouth has long been one of the most powerful marketing tools.

A recommendation from a friend, coworker, family member, or acquaintance carries a lot of weight due to the trust inherent in the relationship.

More people are trusting online reviews at a higher rate than ever.

And this trust is equal to a personal recommendation from someone in their network.

The importance of this cannot be understated:

If word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools, and online reviews are being trusted just as much, then customer reviews are also one of the most powerful marketing tools.
Source: Yeah Local

Key Statistic: 91% of consumers regularly or occasionally read online customer reviews to determine whether a local business is good or bad. 

This statistic indicates a vast majority of consumers turn to Google and other online reviews when determining how they feel about a business before engaging with it.
​
The social proof inherent in reviews and hearing about other people’s experiences is valuable information for an undecided consumer. 

Since most people are reading reviews, businesses need to take their reviews seriously.

They are an extension of word-of-mouth–meaning what people say about you can theoretically be read by thousands of people, not just individuals in a customer’s immediate network.

And these reviews drastically affect your reputation in the marketplace.
source: Yeah Local