Negative reviews are an inevitable part of doing business, a reflection of the diverse perspectives and experiences of our clientele. The more interactions your business has with customers, the higher the likelihood of encountering negative feedback. So, how should you respond to these digital critiques?
An angry customer is a motivational force. The overwhelming majority of customers never bother to leave online reviews (up to 97%). However, those who do are often driven by negative experiences. This implies that an unhappy customer is far more likely to vent their frustrations on platforms compared to a satisfied one.
Responding to Negative Reviews: A Strategic Approach
Many businesses, despite having a larger base of satisfied customers, may still face a higher proportion of negative reviews. Understanding how to effectively address these critiques can significantly impact your online reputation.
Avoid Panic
Negative feedback on platforms like Yelp or Google can be alarming, especially for small businesses. Consider a local plumbing service as an example. Due to its localized nature, customer interactions are often more intimate and frequent. While this can lead to stronger relationships, it also increases the risk of misunderstandings. However, it’s essential to remain calm and composed when faced with negative reviews.
Remember, negative reviews are a common occurrence, and there are proactive steps you can take to turn them into opportunities for growth and improvement.
Verifying the Authenticity of Reviews
One of the most surprising facts is that a significant number of online reviews are fabricated. These fake reviews can originate from competitors, disgruntled individuals, or even companies specializing in creating them.
According to studies, platforms like Yelp can have up to 20% of their reviews classified as fake. This highlights the importance of verifying the authenticity of reviews to maintain a fair and accurate online reputation.
Requesting Removal of Fake or Inappropriate Reviews
Fortunately, most popular review platforms like Google, Yelp, Facebook, and others allow users to report fake or inappropriate reviews. However, the process of removing these fabricated reviews can be challenging, especially if they don’t violate the platform’s explicit guidelines.
Engage the concerned customer
Negative reviews are actually an opportunity, when viewed the right way. Just consider that the person who has taken the time to criticise you on Yelp probably has had a negative experience interacting with your business.
This, therefore, is an opportunity for you to correct whatever it is that has motivated them to leave the criticism. This way, the issue, which may actually be something to do with you and your company, can be resolved before it has had the chance to spread to other customers.
Ask the customer to edit their review
Remember what we have just said about it being difficult to have negative reviews removed from your page? Well, one easy way of achieving this result involves first getting in touch with the concerned customer, and, after resolving their issue, asking them to go back and edit their review.
Doing this actually shows that your company is not some difficulty to approach entity that operates from a hard to reach place somewhere in the world.
Offer a Concise Response
Even if the customer has written a lengthy complaint about your business, your reply should be brief and focused. The last thing you want is to get involved in a back-and-forth argument with the customer, which can quickly spiral out of control. Such exchanges often lead to viral content for all the wrong reasons, and becoming infamous for negative interactions is definitely something you want to avoid.
Encourage Satisfied Customers to Leave Reviews
We mentioned, at the top, the fact that satisfied customers do not usually bother to leave reviews, which is why you may end up getting swamped with negative feedback. It’s important, therefore, for businesses to make sure that their happy customers are encouraged to go to Yelp, Google and other platforms to review their products and services.
Most of these platforms show the latest customers at the top, meaning its possible for you to drown off the front page those reviews that may not be that flattering to your company.
The Kneejerk reaction is the wrong reaction
One of the major failings, when it comes to the management of negative reviews, particularly by small or sole traders, comes from the fact that they are often not patient enough when responding to negative reviews.
The result is that there are countless instances of adverse reviews that have been turned into slugging matches between the customer and the business. The publicity that this draws clearly does not ogre well for any business entity. You can check out a few of the hilarious responses to negative reviews in the article in the provided link. Show drafts
Timing Is Everything
Letting a negative review linger on your profile is certainly not the best approach when it comes to managing online reviews. In today’s fast-paced world, where social media allows people to share their experiences instantly, it’s crucial to act swiftly and address the situation as quickly as possible. As we’ve mentioned before, engaging with the customer who left the review is an effective way to encourage them to reconsider and potentially revise their feedback.
People Expect to See Some Negative Reviews
Here’s an interesting fact: when people browse the internet for information about your company, they actually anticipate encountering a few negative reviews. A flawless profile with only five-star ratings can often appear too good to be true, raising suspicions that the reviews might be manipulated or overly curated. In fact, a few negative reviews can lend credibility to your business by making the positive feedback seem more genuine.
It’s important to understand that no business is perfect, and customers know this. They appreciate honesty and transparency, which is why a mix of reviews can work in your favor. Rather than worrying about the occasional critical review, view it as an opportunity to show how you handle customer concerns and how committed you are to improving your services.
If you’re still on the fence about the significance of online reviews, or if you need more reasons to embrace them as a vital part of your business strategy, feel free to explore our in-depth article linked here. It provides further insights into why online reviews are essential and how they can positively impact your business.
Final Words
Planet Marketing provides guidance on how to effectively handle negative reviews. It emphasizes the importance of remaining calm and composed when faced with criticism, as negative reviews are a common occurrence. By implementing the above strategies, your business can turn negative reviews into opportunities for growth and improvement.
