Leaving online reviews for a financial product or service can sometimes feel like an inconvenience or even a hassle, but in many cases, the impact your feedback can have on others is greater than you might realise.
Thoughtful reviews can give others the information they need to choose a product, as well as giving providers the chance to read your reviews, and then hopefully take your feedback on board.
Having said this, our recent research at Smart Money People has shown that just a quarter (23%) of people have left reviews for their financial providers in the past 12 months. Ultimately, we all want to know that we’re getting the best service for our money, and your voice is the most powerful tool to ensure this.
Here are my top tips for how to leave reviews for your financial providers.
1. Be detailed
When writing your reviews, try to be as detailed as possible. One way you can do this is by breaking down your feedback into different segments or areas of the business. For example, you could comment on areas such as customer service, value for money, product features, and ease of use. Then, provide a brief comment for each area. This will help you to write a review that is both well-rounded and detailed. It means that you’re giving others genuinely valuable feedback that can help them to make informed decisions.
2. Honesty
You should be honest about your experience when writing reviews, while at the same time trying to keep your reviews fair and balanced. Once again, think about the different areas of the business and write an honest reflection for each section. For example, you might find that the product itself is excellent, but the customer service has been poor. For financial firms to improve, they need to understand both what is working and what isn’t.
3. Keep your review up to date
If your experience changes over time, you can update your review to reflect those changes. This keeps your feedback accurate and relevant for others who may be thinking about switching financial service providers and want to know their best options at the current time. Regular updates also offer the financial providers the most up-to-date information, which can allow them to improve their services based on current information.
4. Choose a trustworthy platform
You want to make sure that you post your review onto a site that will give as many people as possible the chance to see it. Posting on customer review sites for financial companies, such as Smart Money People, will ensure that your review can reach as many people as possible and get back to the providers that need to hear it.
Jacqueline Dewey is the CEO of Smart Money People
Smart Money People is the UK’s most comprehensive customer review site for financial products and services. More than 1.9 million reviews have been shared to date, helping people make smarter financial decisions and providing financial services companies with a true picture of what customers think and need. In addition, it creates in-depth bespoke reports for financial organisations. As a result, these companies can turn this data into actionable insights to help them better serve their customers and build deeper trust.
