App Store reviews are now up for discussion
After nine years of one-way feedback, you’ll finally know if someone’s listening
Companies can now reply
Though user reviews for apps range anywhere from helpful critique to angry ranting, giving developers a chance to step in with a direct response is sometimes the best way to let a customer feel like their voice is being heard.
That’s why, after what seems like an eternity, Apple is at last allowing customer support representatives to respond directly to user reviews on the App Store. Rather than having to find a support contact on an app’s website to have any hope of getting a response, conversations can now take place in the same place that you purchase apps. Apple announced a few months ago that the feature would be coming to iOS and macOS, and in mid-July came a signal that the feature was imminent when
Apple created the “Customer Support” role for iTunes Connect – Apple’s content management hub for developers.
By assigning that role to one of its staff, a company that has published on the App Store can now have that individual respond to customers’ reviews of its products.
Though helpful, this role seems long overdue – by contrast, Google’s Play Store for Android devices has allowed developers to respond to customer reviews since 2013.
Still, better late than never, as now you can field your praise – or, more likely, concerns or frustrations – without feeling like you’re talking to a brick wall.
To make sure developers without the know-how don’t wind up in a PR nightmare, Apple has published advice on how to properly engage with customers in the interests of ensuring their satisfaction.
As a buyer of apps, it’s worth checking the points under the Reporting Concerns headline at
apple.co/2vF8kcJ, which lists some code of conduct examples for developers and customers alike. Bear in mind that if a response to a review you’ve posted on the App Store is disrespectful, you can report your concern to Apple.