Let’s face it: nobody likes to receive negative feedback. In today’s digital world, online reviews are a valuable part of your brand’s reputation, but that doesn’t mean negative reviews are a death sentence for your business. How you respond to negative reviews can actually help to strengthen your relationships with existing customers and attract new ones.
Keep reading for strategies on how to respond to negative reviews without losing customers.
1. Stay Calm and Don’t Take It Personally
Before you do anything – take a deep breath. Receiving a negative review can feel personal and unfair, but know that responding in the heat of the moment is unlikely result in a positive outcome.
Take time to clear your head before formulating a response and avoid reacting impulsively.
2. Respond Promptly and Professionally
Leaving a negative review sitting on your page with no response can make it seem like you don’t care about your customer’s concerns or that you’re ignoring problems that need attention. Aim to reply to reviews politely and promptly, ideally within 24-48hrs. This will show customers that you value their feedback and are committed to improving.
Even if you can’t resolve the issue straight away, make sure you reply to the review acknowledging the problem and reassure the reviewer that you are working on a solution.
3. Acknowledge the Issue and Apologise
Even if you disagree with the negative review, acknowledging the issue and offering a sincere apology can go a long way in showing the reviewer and other potential customers that you value their feedback.
Make sure that your response demonstrates that you understand the problem. Avoid vague phrases like “I’m sorry you feel that way” and instead offer a specific apology, for example:
“We’re sorry to hear that your order didn’t meet our usual standards and we understand how frustrating that must be. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and we’re committed to resolving this issue.”
TIP: If the discussion becomes heated or involves sensitive issues, politely invite the customer to continue the conversation privately by providing contact information.
4. Offer a Solution
Once you understand the customer’s issue, try to offer a solution. If it is a product issue, offer a refund or replacement. If it is a service complaint, explain how improvements will be made and offer a complimentary service as a gesture of goodwill.
5. Use Reviews as an Opportunity to Grow
Negative reviews provide valuable feedback on your product and services and so you should use them as an opportunity to learn and grow as a business. If you have had multiple negative reviews on one aspect of your company, use this feedback to improve that area – this will prevent similar complaints in the future.
6. Know When to Move On
Some negative reviews may be impossible to resolve. If the customer has unrealistic expectations and remains dissatisfied even after you have responded and offered solutions, sometimes you just need to move on and focus your energy elsewhere.
7. Encourage Positive Reviews
Positive reviews can help to counterbalance any negative reviews on your page and show potential customers that your business is trust-worthy and cares about their customers. So, once you’ve responded to a negative review and resolved the issue, try to encourage your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews.
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Negative reviews are a reality for every business and aren’t the end of the world. They provide your company with the opportunity to improve, grow and show that you are committed to providing excellent customer experiences.
How you respond to negative reviews can actually build trust with your customers, showcase your professionalism and even attract new customers! By staying calm, acknowledging the issue and offering a solution, you can turn negative reviews into positive learning experiences every time.
Online reviews are just one of the many factors that can influence your website's organic rankings on Google and other search engines. At Designer Websites, our SEO experts can help you to manage both your website and your company's broader online profile in order to attract more customers to your business.
Get in touch today to find out how we can assist you.
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