The DAT Directory includes a company rating system. The system enables carriers to give each broker up to five stars, with additional comments. These ratings say a lot about carrier perceptions of your brokerage. And increasingly, carriers are reading those reviews before they’ll even do business with you, to get their peers’ feedback about your company.
How Do Carriers See My Star Rating and Reviews?
You may think a carrier won’t take the time and effort to look up your star rating and reviews. But it’s not difficult or time-consuming. When a carrier searches for loads on the DAT load board, the name of the brokerage or shipper also appears. If the carrier clicks on the company name, the star rating appears, and another click will take him to the DAT Directory where he can read all the reviews posted about that company.
How to Check Your Company’s Star-Rating and Reviews
To check your company’s star rating and read reviews posted about your company, simply go to the DAT Directory. If you’re using the DAT Power load board, you can get there by clicking the toolbox in the upper right hand corner of the screen, and then selecting “DAT Directory.” You can also get there by typing in DAT.com/directory, where you can log in with your DAT username and password. Search for your company as shown below.
What if There are Negative Reviews about my Company?
If someone posts a negative review of your company, you are free to respond. If you’re responding to a complaint, explain your side of the story in a professional way. After that, we recommend that you call the carrier directly to resolve any remaining issues.
But the best way to downplay negative reviews is to balance them with positive reviews. Contact your favorite carriers and ask them to review your company in a more favorable light. You can email them, with a direct link to your company’s DAT Directory page. To give it more visibility, add the link to your email signature or to your rate confirmation sheets.
To get the URL for your direct link, click the Manage Reputation tab at the top of your company’s DAT Directory page, and then the Reviewers tab below that. Copy and paste the link into your email message, rate confirmation, etc.
Who Should Manage Reviews for My Company?
We recommend that you choose one or two people who will regularly monitor reviews of your company and respond when necessary. You’ll want someone who can write well and has a good sense of customer service.
Want to learn more? View this short video that explains how you can use Company Reviews to help grow your business.
