How to Deal With Negative Reviews as a Business Owner
When you open your doors, you hope to delight every customer or client you have. While most will be beyond satisfied with the products and services you provide, it’s impossible to satisfy everyone who visits your business. Unfortunately, this often results in negative reviews being posted online. As a business owner, negative reviews can easily be a source of concern, and dealing with them promptly is often the first thing you’ll try. But there’s a right and a wrong way to respond to negative online reviews, and if you’re not careful, you could end up hurting your digital marketing efforts. Let’s take a closer look.
Negative Reviews Can Be a Good Thing
The first thing you should realize about negative reviews is that they’re not the end of the world. Remember, those reviews represent one person’s experience with your business and only reflect their opinion. And receiving negative reviews can actually help your business if you manage them correctly. Here’s why:
How to Respond to Negative Reviews
While it might be tempting to ignore negative reviews or to respond in anger, don’t. There’s a right and a wrong way to respond, and the way you respond can impact the way your business is perceived in the future. Here are a few tips to help you respond the right way.
Respond Promptly
Ignoring negative reviews may make you feel better, but it’s best to respond to them quickly. If possible, reply within a week of the review going live. This signals to other current and prospective customers that you’re actively involved and are showing an interest in what people think of your brand.
Put a Personal Touch on Things
Those negative reviews were created by real people, who typically just want to feel seen and heard. If the review is posted with a username or actual name, use that name in your response. If you remember an interaction with the customer, consider including some details about that interaction. This shows that you’re invested in creating a good experience for your customers and can make them feel more appreciated.
Be Empathetic Whenever Possible
Remember, everyone posting online has a life, and their negative review could be the product of them having a bad day. In your response, be empathetic if you can. Let them know that you’re sorry things didn’t live up to their expectations. By being empathetic, you’ll be able to show the customer that you genuinely care and want to do better in the future. This can be enough to encourage them to give your business a second chance.
Don’t Take Things Personally
It’s easy to view negative reviews as personal attacks on you, your staff, and your business. While some of them certainly can be, most are simply customers expressing their dissatisfaction. Try not to take things personally and remember that those reviews are just critiques of your business. They can show you what you need to focus on to improve and can help you position your business for a more successful future.
What to Do With Your Negative Reviews
While responding to negative reviews is always a good idea, it’s important to take the feedback you receive to heart. Keep track of the negative reviews you receive and see if there are trending concerns between them. If you notice similar issues popping up, take steps to improve.
You may want to brainstorm with your employees to see if they have suggestions or ideas that could reduce the number of negative reviews you receive in the future. Remember, your team often hears concerns before customers post negative reviews online. They’ve probably thought about the issues customers are bringing to their attention and may have great ideas to help your business improve and thrive.
How to Attract More Good Reviews
Responding to negative reviews can certainly help inspire confidence in your brand, but responses are no substitute for positive reviews. So, how can you attract more of those four and five-star reviews online? Consider using these tips:
Negative Reviews Can Compliment Your Marketing Efforts
Don’t be afraid of negative reviews. Use them to your advantage and let them inform you of what you need to do to improve your business. And if you’re struggling to attract reviews, Denver Website Designs can help. Our unique system lets you schedule automated review requests to help you boost your brand’s reputation. Contact us today to schedule a demo.
Go Back Negative Reviews Can Be a Good Thing
The first thing you should realize about negative reviews is that they’re not the end of the world. Remember, those reviews represent one person’s experience with your business and only reflect their opinion. And receiving negative reviews can actually help your business if you manage them correctly. Here’s why:
- They make your brand look real: Negative reviews help consumers see that your brand is real. They inspire confidence that you’re not buying reviews or trying to cheat the system.
- They give you insight into how you can improve: Customer complaints can give you a clear idea of what needs work and how you can improve. Over time, this information can help you create a sustainable brand that listens to your customers and takes their concerns to heart.
- They help you boost customer service: When you know what the main concerns and complaints are, you’re better prepared to address them in your day-to-day operations. This can help you improve your customer service and makes it easier to delight your customers well into the future.
How to Respond to Negative Reviews
While it might be tempting to ignore negative reviews or to respond in anger, don’t. There’s a right and a wrong way to respond, and the way you respond can impact the way your business is perceived in the future. Here are a few tips to help you respond the right way.
Respond Promptly
Ignoring negative reviews may make you feel better, but it’s best to respond to them quickly. If possible, reply within a week of the review going live. This signals to other current and prospective customers that you’re actively involved and are showing an interest in what people think of your brand.
Put a Personal Touch on Things
Those negative reviews were created by real people, who typically just want to feel seen and heard. If the review is posted with a username or actual name, use that name in your response. If you remember an interaction with the customer, consider including some details about that interaction. This shows that you’re invested in creating a good experience for your customers and can make them feel more appreciated.
Be Empathetic Whenever Possible
Remember, everyone posting online has a life, and their negative review could be the product of them having a bad day. In your response, be empathetic if you can. Let them know that you’re sorry things didn’t live up to their expectations. By being empathetic, you’ll be able to show the customer that you genuinely care and want to do better in the future. This can be enough to encourage them to give your business a second chance.
Don’t Take Things Personally
It’s easy to view negative reviews as personal attacks on you, your staff, and your business. While some of them certainly can be, most are simply customers expressing their dissatisfaction. Try not to take things personally and remember that those reviews are just critiques of your business. They can show you what you need to focus on to improve and can help you position your business for a more successful future.
What to Do With Your Negative Reviews
While responding to negative reviews is always a good idea, it’s important to take the feedback you receive to heart. Keep track of the negative reviews you receive and see if there are trending concerns between them. If you notice similar issues popping up, take steps to improve.
You may want to brainstorm with your employees to see if they have suggestions or ideas that could reduce the number of negative reviews you receive in the future. Remember, your team often hears concerns before customers post negative reviews online. They’ve probably thought about the issues customers are bringing to their attention and may have great ideas to help your business improve and thrive.
How to Attract More Good Reviews
Responding to negative reviews can certainly help inspire confidence in your brand, but responses are no substitute for positive reviews. So, how can you attract more of those four and five-star reviews online? Consider using these tips:
- Ask your existing customers: If you have repeat customers, it doesn’t hurt to ask them to leave a review for your business on your chosen platform.
- Follow up after customers make a purchase: If you run an eCommerce store, consider sending out emails asking your customers to leave reviews after they buy something from your site. Ideally, wait until at least a week after your customers have received the products so they can leave reviews that speak to their experience.
- Offer an incentive: There’s no shame in offering a discount to customers who leave reviews about your business or the products you sell. Consider offering anywhere from 5-15% off of a future purchase in exchange for a review.
- Focus on your customer service: Many customers will gladly leave positive reviews if they have a good experience with your business or your brand. Focus on providing the best experience every time and the good reviews will follow.
Negative Reviews Can Compliment Your Marketing Efforts
Don’t be afraid of negative reviews. Use them to your advantage and let them inform you of what you need to do to improve your business. And if you’re struggling to attract reviews, Denver Website Designs can help. Our unique system lets you schedule automated review requests to help you boost your brand’s reputation. Contact us today to schedule a demo.