Online reviews are an important part of how consumers shop, and businesses manage their reputation. Negative reviews, particularly anonymous ones, can be challenging, but it is essential to respond to them appropriately. How a business addresses negative feedback can either turn a situation around or lead potential customers to look elsewhere. Below is a closer look at effective strategies for managing negative online reviews.
The first thing that most people want to do when they receive a negative review online is to respond in an emotion-filled way. This usually results in the exact opposite results that you want. Instead, take a second to think about what this review can do for you, it’s important to remember that some negative reviews are not a bad thing.
No business is perfect, and a negative review reflects that. Customers read reviews when shopping online, but they are often skeptical of businesses that only have positive reviews. A few negative ones make your business seem less artificial and more human.
Negative reviews can also show you where things are going wrong in your business that you may not be aware of. For example, a negative review can sometimes highlight issues with your customer service and can give you an opportunity to address the issue, maybe by providing your employees with more training.
To avoid writing a detailed and time-consuming response every time, have a strategy ready so that you can leave the emotion out of the response. This is called review management, and it’s an important part of managing your online presence.
Your response strategy should define the following:
Responding to online reviews is the first step in managing their impact on your business. It is important to respond to messages promptly, that way, your customers get a timely response and other potential customers see that you pay attention to your customers. Ideally, you should respond to a negative review within 24 hours of it being posted.
To make responding easier, create a message template that you can fill in to create your response. This makes it quicker to respond to any negative reviews since the majority of the content is written already, you just need to tailor it to the situation.
In some cases, you may want to respond with a bespoke response, one that is written at the time for a specific negative review. However, doing this leaves you open to responding emotionally and impulsively. A better option is to have a pre-written response that covers:
All of this should be written in a positive tone to defuse any negative feelings and to promote working together to resolve the issue.
There are two parts of the message that should be written specifically for each response: The Resolution Options and Information About The Situation. Including specific information about the situation makes it more personal and shows that you are paying attention rather than sending a template message that requires no effort. Resolution options should also be specific to the situation, offering something that can address the issue.
When addressing a negative review, it’s important to offer solutions that could alleviate the customer’s dissatisfaction. Provide examples of how the issue could be resolved, and encourage further dialogue (offline) to find a final resolution. Once you understand the full details of their experience, you’ll be better positioned to offer an appropriate solution.
Your strategy for responding to negative reviews should always include a clear follow-up plan. If you ask the customer to contact you or commit to taking a specific course of action to address their concern, ensure you do it. Failing to follow through could result in losing the customer permanently, but taking the right steps can turn the situation around.
Negative reviews don’t have to lead to long-term damage to your business. With an effective strategy, you can turn challenges into opportunities. Although it may not be possible to repair every customer relationship, these interactions offer valuable insights that can drive positive changes within your organization.
Responding to negative reviews can be difficult, especially if you’re unsure how to approach it. At Connectica, we specialize in helping businesses manage their online presence by crafting thoughtful responses. We offer an end-to-end review management system that can text your clients requesting reviews as well as answering reviews on your behalf.
If you would like more information on our review management system, contact us today at 954-282-1698 or complete an online form. Let us help you turn negative reviews into opportunities for growth and business development. –
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Connectica LLC
8499 West Commercial Blvd
Tamarac,
FL 33351
Toll Free: 1-877-816-2259
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