10 Essential Tips for Handling Negative Online Reviews
Negative reviews will happen to every business at some point. How the review is handled can make a big difference in the success of the business and whether they suffer as a result of the review. Regardless of whether it’s truthful or fake, it should be handled carefully to minimize the impact it can have.
Answer Quickly But Calmly
When responding to negative reviews, it is crucial to answer quickly but calmly. Don’t let the review sit for days before responding, but do take a breath and remember to be calm when writing up the response.
Be Honest With Answers
Be honest when replying and admit to mistakes if they were made. Ask the reviewer to give the business a second chance to make it right or let them know that changes are being made based on their feedback.
Be Kind When Responding
Pay close attention to the tone of the message and adjust it to sound kind and understanding. It is hard to read the tone of a message, so it is crucial to be as careful as possible to avoid it coming across as an angry response.
Customize the Response
Don’t use a cookie-cutter response for negative reviews. Handle each one independently and tailor the response to the review. This helps the reviewer feel as if they were heard and understood.
Avoid Getting Personal
Personal attacks on the reviewer are never a good idea. They won’t get anyone on the side of the business and are more likely to turn away potential customers in the future. Be careful to avoid anything that could sound like a personal attack.
Answer Them Offline
While it is good to post an answer online for everyone to see, it’s also a good idea to get them to call to discuss the situation. This way, it’s easier to talk to them about what happened, apologize, and ask how it can be made right.
Go Above and Beyond
It’s not required for businesses to give discounts or free products when there is a negative review, it can help correct the situation. Consider the specific situation and go above and beyond what is expected to ensure the customer’s situation is corrected.
Follow Up Later
Be sure to follow up later to make sure the customer is satisfied with the correction and anything else that was done. Ask them about their experience after the review and, if possible, encourage them to edit the review to let others know that it was corrected.
Encourage Positive Reviews
It’s possible to minimize the impact of negative reviews. Encourage happy customers to write more reviews, so the negative review doesn’t hold as much power. When there are more happy reviews than ones from upset customers, potential customers will see that most people are pleased with what the business offers.
Ask for Fake Reviews to be Removed
Fake reviews will happen. Ask the site they’re posted on to remove the fake reviews, explaining why they are fake. While it’s not a good idea to delete all negative reviews, fake ones are challenging to handle and should be removed to prevent them from having an impact.
Use these tips to carefully respond to any negative reviews and minimize the impact they may have. Doing so can help show the business in a much better light and encourage potential customers to purchase a product or service in the future.
