Reputation Management

Transforming Online Reputation Through Employee-Driven Reviews

 

Challenge

Before launching this initiative, most of our dealerships received just 1–2 Google reviews per month. Ratings were inconsistent, ranging from 2.5 to 4 stars. This limited our visibility in search results, made it harder to earn trust from new customers, and left us vulnerable to review bombing.

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Approach

We launched a company-wide contest to encourage frontline employees to ask satisfied customers for reviews — and to make those interactions personal. Any employee mentioned by name in the most positive reviews each month (by department) earned a $250 bonus, with an additional $250 awarded to the top company-wide performer. A minimum of three reviews was required to qualify. The contest reset monthly and quickly gained traction across departments.

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Results

• 10x increase in review volume: Some locations now receive over 20 reviews per month.

• Star ratings jumped: Dealerships that previously hovered around 2.5 to 4.0 stars now sit between 4.0 and 5.0.

• Dominance in search: Our review volume outpaces surrounding competitors 10 to 1, and nearly all of our locations now have higher ratings.

• Resilience: When bad-faith actors attempted review-bombing, our stronger baseline protected our reputation.
   

Why It Worked

The program improved more than our online profile — it improved the customer experience itself. Employees, especially parts delivery drivers, began making a point to learn names, connect with customers, and take pride in the feedback they earned. The contest boosted morale and turned reputation management into a team sport. It also contributed to measurable business growth and became a model for sustainable culture-driven marketing.