Negative reviews are something that comes with the business. No matter how hard you try, you can’t be completely rid of them. Some clients leave negative reviews because they have a bad experience; others may just be biased or chronic complainers. The problem is, your prospects won’t care why a customer leaves a negative review. They are only concerned with how it affects the credibility of your business.
It might come as a surprise to learn that negative reviews are a necessary evil.
A few negative reviews among positive ones convince your prospects of your authenticity. It is suspicious and strange to have all positive reviews with almost no negative ones.
Negative reviews help to provide insights into areas of your business in need of improvement.
Why responding to negative reviews is vital?
- It helps you take back control and minimize the damage of the negative review.
- Responding shows prospects that you are committed and professional.
How do you respond to negative reviews?
- The truth is, nobody likes to see their business degraded, especially when you are not at fault. Some negative feedback can be downright annoying, infuriating, and hurtful. The first thing you need to do when it shows up on your business page is take a deep breath. Calm down and do more tactical thinking. Some business owners have thrown caution out the window with their raging response. In the end, your unprofessional response will affect your business more than the negative review itself.
- Respond quickly and follow up with the customer. Start by contacting the customer and trying to resolve the problem or make corrections. If this is possible, and the customer is happy, politely ask them to edit the review after. If they are reluctant, let it go and proceed with a timely public response to the reviews.
- Work towards the positives. Positive reviews can easily outweigh negative ones. An important way to minimize the impact of negative feedback is by getting more positive ones. Take your review game seriously. Apply compelling practices such as a satisfactory service, reminders through email to review the service, and much more. These can spur more clients towards leaving positive feedback.
The Response
Do not use an automatic response. Your clients or prospects want to know they are interacting with a human being and not automated systems. Keep your responses real, honest, and conversational.
- Offer an Apology or Solution
A good response can always begin with an apology. This makes it clear that you care about your clients’ demands and satisfaction. You can also assure them of exceptional services or a solution to the problem. - Keep Prospects in Mind
The entire reason you must respond professionally to all reviews is that prospects read them. Always remember that you are not only addressing a former client’s dissatisfaction, but you are also convincing new ones they won’t have similar problems.
You can avoid the bulk of negative reviews with proper business practices, such as
- Quick and efficient communication
- Exceptional customer service
- Sticking to business principles and promises
- Create a platform for customer complaint or overall feedback.
