Responding to Negative Online Reviews
John Ohman • December 31, 2019
How You Handle This Really Matters!
You work really hard at your business!
You try to provide your best products & services every single day!
And then it happens . . . You scan your social media accounts and there it is! .. .. .. A really negative review!
Yes, you know just how important online reviews are . . . So, what do you do next?
Answer - take a deep breath and reset your reactionary state of mind.
Here's what NOT to do:
- DON'T lash out at the person who posted the negative review - EVEN if they surely deserve it.
- DON'T succumb to the promises of some "Online Reputation Management" service that promises to magically make negative reviews disappear.
Here's what TO DO in responding to a negative review:
- Write a non-confrontational response to the customer’s review with some specific keywords that let them know you’ve read and understood their review. Express sincere regret that the customer had a poor experience.
- Thank the customer for taking the time to give you honest feedback.
- After you’ve apologized to the customer, make an offer to discuss the situation further and make things right.
- Let the customer know that the issue has been (or will be) resolved.
- Avoid stating your business name in the review so that it is less likely to be found in a search engine query.
Oh, by the way, you'll also get great positive reviews! Here's how to respond (Yes, it's just as important to respond to the good as well as the not-so-good) to them:
- Thank the customer for their kind words, and for their visit or purchase. Be specific in your wording.
- Invite the customer to do something - ask them to return, use another service or even help spread the word.
- Include your business name and location within your response to a positive review, as this will help it appear in help it to appear in search results.
- If the opportunity presents itself (i.e. if the customer has hinted at it within their review), include information about upcoming sales, promotions or events for their benefit and anyone else who reads your reply. But read the signals on this one - the last thing you want to do is sour positive sentiment by appearing to use it as an opening for blatant marketing.
- If you've identified them as a particularly loyal customer, reach out to them privately to offer a reward for their generosity.
So, overall, what's the best strategy regarding online reviews of your business? Here's our recommendations:
- Be proactive, not reactive! Look, online reviews of your business WILL occur whether you like it or not. AND, they will have a SIGNIFICANT IMPACT on how current & existing customers see you!
- Respond to EACH & EVERY review you get.
- Profess joy & gratitude for the positive reviews . . . and put forth a humble, inquisitive, "want to make it right" attitude in responding to the not-so-great ones.
- Don't promise too much, but unconditionally follow through on any commitments you put forth.
Finally, stayed tuned for our post on "Review Generation" and "Reputation Management" services. We'll show you how to separate the "reasonable" from the "over-promising", the ethical from the questionable practices, and ultimately, whether you need to pay for any of these services or not.
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