A good reputation is vital to the success of any business. How should you respond if your status comes under fire? The tips below will help you perform damage control the right way, and maybe even turn a negative experience into a positive one.
What Not to Do
- Don't deny the problem exists or argue with the reviewer. It's only natural to feel hurt or angry when someone posts negative criticism about your business. But when a customer has a complaint, insisting that they're wrong in a public forum is a big mistake. Even if you're convinced that the problem was on their end, you should acknowledge the issue.
- Don't try to game the system. Some business owners, faced with multiple negative reviews, have solicited friends or paid people to write positive reviews and counter the impact. This is not only a bad idea, but also comes with the very likely possibility that you'll get caught. Some consumer review sites have systems in place to warn readers of suspected paid reviews.
- Don't do nothing! While it's impossible to fend off all negative comments (especially over time), ignoring bad reviews is a poor strategy. It sends the message that your business doesn't care when people have negative experiences.
How to Take Action
It's important to monitor your social media pages and respond to concerns there. But you should also check out major consumer review sites to see what people are saying about your business. The simplest way to do this is to set up a Google Alert for your business name.
If you find any less-than-stellar reviews…
- Take an objective look. If the review or comment is obviously not serious, or if the poster is using anger and abusive language, your best option is probably to ignore it. If possible, have it removed. Most consumer review sites offer a way to flag or report reviews that violate their terms of service.
- Respond with tact. When addressing a negative review, always remain professional. You can choose to respond privately (useful when you disagree with a reviewer's take on a situation) or publicly, which helps to demonstrate to other readers that you're addressing the problem.
- Apologize and ask for input. Most often, the best response to an upset customer is to say you're sorry without qualifying the apology to redirect the blame toward the reviewer's feelings. If a mistake was made, ask what you can do to resolve the situation. And, of course, make sure you follow up appropriately.
