Google reviews for insurance agenciesHow often do you check reviews before purchasing a product or choosing a restaurant for a special dinner? I do it nearly every time. Why? Because I want to make sure I am making the best choice. More consumers are relying on reviews for their buying decisions than ever before. There are several review platforms but how important are Google Reviews for your insurance agency?

People Will Believe Others Before They Believe You.

Last year, I was looking for a new florist to deliver flowers for Valentine’s Day. My old florist wasn’t meeting my expectations. I checked Google reviews and decided on a very well established florist in town. They had hundreds of 5 star reviews and I felt confident they would not ruin this special day.

I was wrong. As the day went on the flowers never showed up. I called numerous times throughout the day and left several messages with no reply. I remember that evening trying to enjoy a delightful dinner yet feeling like I failed by choosing the wrong florist.

The next morning I went back to Google and apparently I wasn’t the only victim. Dozens of other disappointed customers blasted negative reviews the night before. Of course, I chimed in as well. Within 30 minutes the manager of the shop called me. They had a complete melt down on the busiest day of the year. Their excuse was 3 drivers didn’t show up. They promised to deliver the flowers in the next few hours for free. This didn’t help me feel better. Damage was done.

Over the past year, I have received several discounted offers and even a voucher for a free dozen of roses delivered. All of this went into the trash. Then a week before this past Valentine’s Day that same manager called me and asked for a chance to make up for their mistake with a free dozen roses delivered. As I listened to her apologize over and over I checked Google again and found several recent raving reviews. Apparently they spent the past 12 months in damage control mode. I accepted her apology and was pleased to see they went over the top with the arrangement and delivered on time.

There is no telling how much that meltdown cost this business. The dozens of negative reviews that day could have put them out of business. I give them credit for their extra effort in pleasing every client and earning many more raving 5 star reviews since.

 “Who Else Am I Going to Call?”

I love hearing this from callers who found us on Google. We always ask how they found us and this response is a common occurrence. Then they continue to say how many more 5 star reviews we have over other agencies.

Here is a search result for “Homeowners Insurance High Point, NC”.

Google reviews comparison

You can immediately see why a Google user would call us over anyone else. So how did we get these valuable 5 Star Reviews?

It’s pretty simple, my team is rewarded every time they are responsible for a 5 star review. Whenever they are talking with a client and the client shows their appreciation on the call, we ask them for a 5 star review and send an email with instructions if they agree.

Not everyone will do this but those that do give us an excellent testimonial that does the selling for us.

Getting more calls from prospects is not the only benefit we have found. As we go through the conversion process we find that these prospects are easier to convert as well. Their guard is down and they are more willing to share the information we need to provide their quotes.

The third benefit we enjoy is that these prospects are less price sensitive. The majority of reviews we have are more about service than savings. This has attracted prospects that have been jaded in some way by another agent.

As you can see, gathering Google reviews are incredibly powerful and very easy to get. All you have to do is ask. Make this a priority for your agency! 5 Star Reviews are Gold!