8 WAYS TO RESPOND TO NEGATIVE REVIEWS
Even small businesses can get bad reviews. And in our day of modern connectivity, reviews—positive and negative—can spread like wildfire. One of the most important things for business owners to learn is how to deal with angry and disgruntled customers, especially when it happens online. Every business faces negative reviews at some point; what makes the difference is how you respond. When it comes to handling negative reviews, you may need the help of Fort Collins SEO specialists. Here are eight tips on how to reply to negative reviews.
Make a Plan
When you first see a negative review, don’t start typing your response right away. Take a few moments to create a response strategy. This will help you understand their problem and control your emotions. The worst thing you could do is respond angrily in the heat of the moment and escalate the situation. Don’t take too long to make a plan, though, because customers expect quick responses online.
Acknowledge if Something Was Wrong
One of the first things to do is understand what went wrong. This is also the time to separate legitimate complaints from someone who is just trashing your business for no reason. If something was wrong, like the product broke or the wrong item was delivered, acknowledge the issue. Don’t gloss over it and pretend your company didn’t make a mistake.
Apologize
Follow up your acknowledgement with a short apology. Simply saying “I’m sorry” can be a powerful way in repairing a customer relationship. You can still apologize even if your company wasn’t really at fault. Even if the issue was with a supplier or other party, apologize by saying “I’m sorry you feel that way” or “I’m sorry that happened to you.” Click here to learn about more ways to how to apologize professionally.
Be Personal
Add a personal element to your response, such as addressing the customer by name or including specific details about their incident. Customers post negative reviews because they want to be heard. The last thing they want is the same response that is copy and pasted for every review. If you aren’t going to take the time to be personal, it’s almost not worth responding.
Don’t Get Overly Emotional
Negative reviews can sting, but don’t take them personally. A lot of people write negative reviews because they want to get a rise out of the owner. Don’t respond in anger and don’t try to start an altercation with the reviewer. Be the bigger person and put your emotions and pride on the back burner.
Be Brief
The longer the response, the bigger the hole you dig yourself into. You don’t need to offer a detailed explanation of what went wrong or throw someone else under the bus with blame. You also don’t want to get wordy with an angry response. Acknowledge, apologize, and then invite the customer to contact you in another way if there’s still more to say.
Follow Up Offline
It’s important to respond online so that other people can see that you care and take the time to reply to customers. However, your entire exchange doesn’t need to be public. After your initial response, provide contact information or invite the customer to call your customer service department. Following up offline is when you can provide more personal service, answer their specific questions, and fix their problem. Click here for more tips on following up.
Offer a Solution
If your company really did make a mistake, offer a solution to make it right. The solution depends on the severity of the issue and can include things like a new product, sending them something with free shipping, a coupon code for a future order, or a free meal or service. You don’t have to give the same solution to every customer, but it’s important to make the situation right. Negative reviews are inevitable, but they can still sting and hurt your company’s reputation online. Take the time to craft a short, personal response that addresses their problems, and then follow up offline. If you respond well to negative reviews, you could turn an angry customer into your biggest fan.
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