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Welcome to Service Specialist Training!

.Part One.

Let’s say today, you are comfortably sipping on a soda during your lunch break, cooling your

mouth from eating a hot sub sandwich when you receive an urgent service call. Your manager

puts this issue at top priority, and before you can finish that delicious mound of bready, meaty

heaven, you’re in your truck and out the door.

You get to the customer’s house well before they expect you. Frustrated and confused, the 40-

something-year old woman explains the problem and you get right to work. You know exactly

what to do. Quickly, efficiently, and expertly, you complete the job. The woman is amazed!

“Thank you SO much! I can’t believe that you could even fix that, how can I ever thank you!?”

“It’s no problem at all ma’am, that’s my job. Happy to do it,” you reply, then go over what she

needs to do to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Proud of the expert work you’ve

accomplished, you head out the door knowing that you’ve truly

saved this woman.

Typically, is this the last time that you hear from her? She thanks

you profusely; you know you did a great job, and then POOF! You

leave and head back to the office, and the superhero effort you

went to in rescuing this person from utter devastation goes

unnoticed. Well sure, maybe you’ll tell your buddies, maybe a friend

or two at the pub, but that’s where the story dies.

This is what we are changing. We know you do a great job, and so

does your manager. That’s why your manager asked us to help you get the recognition you

DESERVE! So let’s return to the damsel who is no longer in distress, and jump back to the part

where she is thanking you for how amazing you are:

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“Thank you SO much! I can’t believe that you could even fix that, how can I ever thank you!?”

“It’s no problem at all ma’am, that’s my job! But you know what, your honest opinion of my

work really does mean a lot to me. Would you mind filling out an online review for me?”

You really DID help her. So why not let her help you? This is where you hand her this card:

Ok, ok, wait just a second here…a proper thank you for your diligent work is an online review?

Of all things, who cares about that? Well here’s the thing, word of mouth reputation can not

only increase receiving kudos from your colleagues, but can launch you and your career to

greatness in your field. We aren’t kidding. The explosive popularity of online websites is easy

to see! Take a look at the figures below and see for yourself how many customers do their

research on review sites EVERY MONTH:

3 million consumers visit

6 million consumers visit

7 million consumers visit

17 million consumers visit

17 million consumers visit

84 million consumers visit

90 million consumers visit

149 million consumers visit

197 million consumers visit

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So what are the customers doing with the information that they are learning on these review

sites? The truth is, the modern day consumer is checking these review sites to find the best of

the best for their home and needs. But do they really care about what they are reading?

You bet they do.

Here are some facts you might find interesting:

95% of consumers consult reviews before making a purchase.

88% of consumers ALWAYS consult reviews before making a purchase of a new

product.

70% of consumers online trust opinions of people they don’t know.

90% of consumers online trust recommendations from people they know.

84% of internet users trust reviews from customers more than reviews from an

expert.

69% of consumers who read reviews share them with friends, family or

colleagues, thus amplifying their impact.

60% of consumers are more likely to purchase on a site that has consumer

reviews.

56% of consumers have written an online review.

78% of consumers think that reviews are the most credible form of advertising.

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The typical Joe or Jane has thousands of different options when it comes to service providers,

and it can be very overwhelming for them to find the right one they can trust. With the

importance of reviews on buying decisions, consumers are worried that reviews might be fake,

purchased illegally or even written by the company themselves. Because of that , 57% of

consumers trust an independent company like ReviewBuzz to collect service reviews so

that they know these reviews are real.

So, consumers trust online reviews. That’s why YOU have to stand out! And that’s we do here

at ReviewBuzz. We help customers find your company, and specifically you, to get you more

business and help you become recognized by your manager, your colleagues, and the world

watching online.

Overwhelming isn’t it? Nah, it doesn’t have to be! And we are here to make it easy, even fun,

to gain recognition and popularity online so that customers are not only satisfied with your

work, but asking for you by name. In this handbook we are going to go over how we make

that happen for businesses all over the country by telling you how ReviewBuzz works, what

your role is, and how together we will help you achieve the rewards you deserve for your Super

Hero success!

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Here at ReviewBuzz, we are determined to get the “buzz” of your superhero service spread all

over the internet in the form of online reviews. So no, we are not a review site. Rather, we are

a revolutionary recognition tool that integrates with review sites! Our state of the art software

makes it super easy for your customers to write online reviews about you and your service on

popular review sites such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo!, Yelp, and so forth.

What’s especially different about us is that while we want your company to be recognized, we

want YOU to specifically be applauded for your work. The reasons that we want you to be

recognized include:

Work is more fun! Who doesn’t love receiving compliments all the time?

Your family, friends, managers and colleagues learn about how great you are

at your job

You will receive bonuses, prizes and incentives when your work is recognized

You will increase your personal sales and thereby make more money

“Wait, how do online reviews do all that?” It’s simple.

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Tell us the truth. Would you rather buy a supply part from a friend that you know and trust or

from a stranger that you have just met? From someone you know and trust of course! And we

want your customers to know and trust you before you even meet them. That’s why it is so

important to have (lots of!) fantastic online

reviews. Your customers will already see that you

have helped many other people, and from the

statistics we showed you earlier, you know that people trust online reviews. If the reviews say

you’re great, then you are! Therefore they can trust your opinion when you recommend service

and parts that they need. In other words:

OK great, so you know that reviews are important to help you make more sales. But

another important key is that they also increase your online visibility and help

customers find you more easily. In other words, when a customer does a simple Google

search for, say, “Plumber in San Diego,” the companies that have the best reviews are

seen first while bad ratings can hurt a company’s online visibility. Why? The reason is

because search engines like Google care about online reviews too, and want good

companies to be recognized first. Consider this recent quote:

“Being bad is, and hopefully will always be, bad for

business in Google’s search results” (Google, 2011).

Google literally penalizes companies with negative customer reviews by lowering their

search engine rank, making positive reviews an even more crucial element to getting

more business. By far the most widely used search engine, Google continues to improve

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its’ search engine to provide a better customer experience, and others are sure to

follow.

Question: If positive reviews are so important, why not write your own reviews or hire a

company to write them for me?

Some businesses use unethical and illegal practices to create positive reviews. The FTC

(Federal Trade Commission) is cracking down on businesses that are paying and

incentivizing customers to write reviews, creating fake accounts on behalf of supposed

customers, or using paid services that post reviews on behalf of their customers.

Review sites such as Google and Yelp clearly define these regulations in their terms of

service and forbid companies to create fraudulent reviews or re-post reviews posing as

customers.

So, why worry? Consider this…search engines like Google can ban, remove or delete

such sites entirely for these practices. Furthermore, the FTC has already fined

companies up to $250,000 for writing fake reviews (Los Angeles Times, 2011).

According to the New York Times, “Google announced … that it had changed the way it

ranks search results so that unscrupulous merchants would find it harder to appear

prominently in searches” (2011).

Take it from us; there is a better and easier way that won’t cost you rankings,

reputation, or credibility. Posting reviews through ReviewBuzz ensures that all your

customer reviews are legitimate and ethical with each review being tied to a unique

invoice number and email address!

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Check point Review

1. Which statement is true?

A. The majority of consumers trust the opinion of anonymous internet users.

B. Thousands of consumers nationwide visit review sites every month.

C. Consumers hardly ever consult online reviews when making buying decisions.

D. All of the above.

2. Why are online reviews an important part of your business practice?

A. Online reviews help you receive recognition for your work.

B. Customers are able to find you easier and increase your business.

C. Managers want to see that you are doing well without having to reward you.

D. A and B only.

3. How do bad reviews affect Google rankings?

A. Google and other search engines cannot take customer reviews into

consideration when ranking web pages.

B. Google has not officially stated whether it penalizes companies who treat

customers badly.

C. Negative reviews have the potential of lowering a company's ranking on Google.

D. None of the above.

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Putting it in Action!

.Part Two.

Now you know that online reviews are important for you and your company. Next we

will go on to making it happen! In this section we will go into more detail about how

ReviewBuzz helps you with creating real, authentic online reviews that you earned.

The ReviewBuzz Process is simple: EARN REQUEST REWARD

1. EARN: Every five-star review is based on five-star service. You must

impress the customer with outstanding service and extra attention to earn a

positive review.

2. REQUEST: Once the service has been completed to the customer’s

satisfaction, you will request a review by handing out a Review Request Card and

offering a brief explanation of the importance of the review and how ReviewBuzz

works.

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3. REWARD: Every review is tracked on ReviewBuzz, and you will receive e-

mail notifications upon completed online reviews. You and the other team

members are ranked on a point scale based on the number of reviews

accumulated over time, and will have a chance to earn prizes and recognition.

“They love me! They really do love me!”

You’re going to have great customers and experiences So let’s go back to the beginning

scenario, where you hand the customer a ReviewBuzz card. Then the customer gets to

go complete the review for you! You might be wondering what you are asking them to

do, you curious Service Specialist, you.

The process goes like this:

1. The customer will type into their web browser, www.ReviewBuzz.com

2. Once there, they will type in your company name that you provided on

the card.

3. After they type in and find your company, they will be prompted by four

easy to follow videos that will guide them through the process of writing a

review.

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a. In the first step we explain briefly how ReviewBuzz works and that they

are writing a review for you.

b. In the second step they will select you from a drop down menu containing

all employees you work with, and enter their name and email address.

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c. The third step will provide names of popular review sites, and they select

one.

d. In the final step, we show one more video explaining how to write the

review on the actual website they chose. Some sites require that they sign

in, others don’t. Whichever way it is, we walk them through the process

step by step.

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e. Once they click “Next,” the customer then leaves the ReviewBuzz site and

is brought directly onto your companies’ “Write a Review” page. They

simply fill out the review and they’re done!

That’s it! The customer has written a review. Then it’s our turn at ReviewBuzz to get

into action. Our highly trained professionals find the reviews flying all over review sites

and aggregate them so that your boss can see when and where you got the great

reviews. If the customer somehow didn’t finish the process we will send them an email

to try and get them to complete the process so you can receive as many reviews as you

deserve!

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Who is all involved?

All team members can and should take part in providing a memorable experience for

every customer, but there are three key roles that must be filled to make sure you get

the most out of ReviewBuzz.

1) Buzz Manager (BM)

The Buzz Manager’s main responsibility is to build consumer trust by utilizing

positive reviews in advertising, marketing, and sales tools, and to remediate

negative reviews. They are also responsible for dashboard setup.

2) Review Generation Manager (RGM)

RGMs are responsible for Service Specialists earning and requesting reviews.

Service team managers are the best candidates for your RGMs. There may be

more than one RGM depending on the size of the team.

3) Service Specialist (That’s you)

As a Service Specialist, you have the ultimate power to earn and request

reviews. Since you are the face of the company, you have more opportunities

than anyone to earn reviews! You should always be building rapport with

customers and providing superior customer service. Remember, customers are

more likely to post a positive review if you have explained what it means for you

to get a review.

(BM) Service Specialist (You!) (RGM)

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What did you just say?!?

Section Review

The ReviewBuzz review-generating system is about much more than quickly increasing

your company’s online reviews. It’s about acquiring a superior reputation and credibility

in the community and letting new customers know that they are in the hands of a well-

respected and trusted company. ReviewBuzz will strengthen the company’s

commitment to superior customer service, which is the ultimate vehicle for earning

repeat business and referrals.

The formula for success is simple:

EARN REQUEST REWARD

When you have internalized the commitment to 5-star service, 5-star reviews will

follow, and requesting reviews becomes a natural part of the service.

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Check point Review

1. What is true about requesting reviews with ReviewBuzz?

A. Service Specialists should request only nice customers to write reviews. The

grumpy ones don’t deserve your time or customer service.

B. ReviewBuzz sends e-mails to customers requesting reviews, so that Service

Specialists don't need to request reviews in person often.

C. Team members should ask each customer to post a review, because you want

the honest feedback from all of your customers.

D. A and B only.

2. How do customers use ReviewBuzz to write reviews?

A. Customers go to a review site of their choice, write a review, and ReviewBuzz

sends them an e-mail confirmation that the review was posted.

B. Customers log into ReviewBuzz, create an account and receive an e-mail

requesting a review.

C. Customers find a company on the ReviewBuzz Homepage, go through 4 steps

and watch tutorial videos, and finally write a review on the ReviewBuzz review

portal.

D. Customers type in the company on the ReviewBuzz Homepage, go through 4

steps and watch tutorial videos, and finally write a review on an external website

of their choice, like Google.

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Great Reviews, Excellent Reputation, Increased Revenue

.Part Three.

Your Role and Responsibilities

You play the #1 role in the success of ReviewBuzz as a member of

your company’s service or sales team.

You are the main ingredient in the success of your company's reputation

online and through word of mouth.

No one has as many opportunities to connect at a personal and

emotional level with your customers as you have.

You are the one providing excellent customer service, earning and

requesting reviews, and representing your company’s brand

Requesting Reviews

Your job is to ask your customers to post an online review. To get used to asking for

reviews, remember to use “I” language such as, “I really appreciate” or “it means a lot

to me” rather than using company language like, “us” or “we”. This review is for YOU!

Use the following conversation as a model. Be yourself and use your own words, but

this is a great way to phrase it:

“Can you do a favor for me? Your honest feedback is very important to me. So

tell me the truth, did I do a great job today?”

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“Of course you did!”

“I am so happy to hear that. I take my career very seriously and the way for it to

grow is to have online reviews. Would you please write me a review? <hand

ReviewBuzz card> It only takes about five minutes.”

“Sure, I can do that.”

“That is awesome, it would really mean the world to me to see that on my

review report today. My boss checks on those daily and I really want to impress

him/her. Thank you so much!”

And it’s as simple as that! While this is an idea, remember to touch on these four

points:

Honest feedback is what you are after

Your career is important to you and you want to succeed

To do that, “please write me a review”

And of course, be thankful and humble

To make this even easier for you, hand out your ReviewBuzz card to the customer

when you're requesting a review. The instructions are on there for them and all they

need to do is follow them! They will likely have a question or two about ReviewBuzz,

so make sure you understand the system so you can be ready for their questions.

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Handling Common Objections

Sometimes customers have objections when you ask them to write a review. Follow

these guidelines to handle these situations.

Objection 1: The customer is busy.

Response: Politely ask if the customer can post the review later, but before the

end of the day, so that it appears in your daily report.

Objection 2: The customer does not have a computer.

Response: Provide instructions and ask if the customer’s neighbors, family

members, or coworkers can help.

Objection 3: The customer’s computer is down.

Response: Ask if you can send the customer a link so that the customer can post

the review later, and then follow up with a courtesy call.

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What you can Expect

It is critical to understand that attaining reviews is a numbers game. Not all customers

that you hand cards to will write you reviews. There are two main reasons why this will

happen:

1) You didn’t create a remarkable enough experience

Remember that the reason customers will write you a review is that

you really “wowed” them with your service.

Go above and beyond for every customer. They will realize that you

aren’t just an average service specialist and will be motivated to

write a review for you!

Be friendly, have fun and they will too.

2) They just plain didn’t do it

Sometimes it’s not your fault. They are lazy, they forgot their

computer password, they decided to go swimming instead.

Follow-up with your customers! Give them a call or send them

an email, ask them to write you the review. It could be just a

simple case of forgetfulness that stands in the way of your review.

It’s important to know that lots of companies ask customers for feedback, and the most

common way is through surveys. Statistics show that less than 1% of customers fill

those out. Less than 1 in 100 people.

With ReviewBuzz, a customer is TEN TIMES more likely to write a review for

you. That’s why it is SO important to hand cards to every customer to ensure that you

get the highest number of reviews. Keep handing out the cards, keep asking, and you’ll

keep getting reviews!

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Hear it from Techs who already use ReviewBuzz!

“When they do post reviews for me, it’s 100% better for me because now their friends

are hearing about me. I’m gonna get more work, more money, it’s just all the way

around a benefit for me.” - Mike

“It has really helped me focus more on customer satisfaction. When I go away from

that job I don’t just want the customer just to be satisfied, I want them to be happy as

well.” - Danny

Question: Does ReviewBuzz get you more work?

“Yes. And I also ask them, ‘how did you hear about us?’ And they tell me, on the

Internet. You have the most reviews. So, that there helped me a lot. Getting that

call….Yes, it does help me bring in more income.” - Bob

“A lot of times people read the reviews on the Internet and they will ask for a specific

person that is rated and a lot of the time they ask for me.” - Jim

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Keep Track of Your Own Reviews

ReviewBuzz gives you quick access to the reviews your customers have posted on the

web about your service. Log into the "My Reviews Dashboard" using your personal

username and password on the ReviewBuzz home page (your manager will provide you

with log in details). You'll be able to view all posted reviews and check your

accumulated points towards rewards!

You also have the ability to share your reviews on Facebook and Twitter with a simple

click of a button. That way even your friends and family can see how great you are

with superior customer service, and how famous you are on online review sites!

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Now for the Good Stuff: PRIZES!

Yes, we are asking a lot from you. Provide remarkable customer service, ask for

the review, follow up with your customers. But it is all worth it for those reviews, for

your sales, but also – for prizes!

Our built in point system automatically tallies your points for your Buzz Manager

and Review Generation Manager, so all you have to do is keep asking for those reviews

to get those points! Here’s how it works:

Every review attempt is worth 250 points

This means that every time your customer logs in to ReviewBuzz and

enters your name, you automatically get 250 points, even if they don’t

finish the review on an external site like Google, Yahoo or Facebook.

Every completed review is worth 250 points

Once your customer completes your review on a review or social media

site, you then get another 250 points! You already got 250 points when

they attempted the review, and now receive 250 more once we confirm it

is completed. That’s technically a total of 500 points for a review!

Finally, if you receive a Yelp review, you get 1,250 points

The reason you get 5 times as many points for a Yelp review written by a

qualified Yelper (a person who is consistently using Yelp), is very valuable.

These are very difficult to attain because of Yelp’s filtration system that

hides non-qualified Yelper’s reviews. But when you do, it pays off! You

also get the 250 from the review attempt, a total of 1500 points!

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What are all these points worth? Prizes of course! See the sample prize chart below.

You can cash in your review points for the smaller prizes or keep adding them up for

bigger prizes, it’s up to you! Keep in mind that the exact prizes may vary per company.

To win prizes, win reviews with remarkable customer service!

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Need more Help?

Whenever you have questions about ReviewBuzz, there are many ways to contact us

for help!

Click on the “Ask Us” or “Support” link on the ReviewBuzz home page

Live chat is available from the ReviewBuzz homepage

Personalized support from the ReviewBuzz Success Coaches

Phone: 760-407-8080

Email: support@reviewbuzz.com

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Check point Review

1. Why is your role as the Service Specialist so important?

A. Because you interact with the customer one-on-one, you have the best

opportunity to provide great service and earn 5-star reviews.

B. If you don't get reviews, you won't be eligible for prizes and incentives.

C. Word of mouth and online reputation are largely based on reviews and referrals,

which derive from superior service.

D. All of the above.

2. Which of the following is an appropriate way to handle a customer’s

objection to posting a review?

A. Provide instructions and ask if the customer’s family can help, or offer to have

your company follow up later with a link to post a review.

B. Politely tell the customer that it's ok and that the review isn't that important.

C. Offer the customer to write the review on his or her behalf.

D. All of the above

3. The ReviewBuzz Support Team and Success Coach…

A. Is available for an additional cost.

B. Is accessible via the “Ask Us" or “Support” link on the ReviewBuzz homepage

C. Requires log in information at all times

D. B and C

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Training Course Completed!

Congratulations! You’ve completed the ReviewBuzz Training Course. Now you should be

able to:

Explain what ReviewBuzz is and how it works.

Explain why using ReviewBuzz is important.

Describe the key to making ReviewBuzz work.

Describe the ReviewBuzz process from a customer’s perspective.

List your responsibilities within the ReviewBuzz process.

Access additional information and resources for using ReviewBuzz more

effectively.

Now go get your ReviewBuzz cards and start asking for reviews!