Keep Calm & Write a Solid Response
Way before Google and Facebook and life as we know it, business owners depended on word-of-mouth marketing from happy customers to recommend their business to friends and family. While referrals are still important, consumers today also have access to a plethora of review sites where they can read reviews from any customer that wanted to leave one. In fact, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as they would trust a friend’s recommendation. That being said, online reputation management is extremely important for business growth.
So what do you do when a disgruntled customer leaves a negative review? You craft a well composed response! It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly the correct formula for a negative review response since it depends largely on the context of the situation. So instead, check out these three ways to not respond to a negative review.
1. Do Not: Inform the Customer of How Wrong They Are
The best way to combat a negative review is, like most conflicts, by taking the high road. The customer’s remarks may be completely false, but pointing out how wrong the customer is can cause the review to escalate into a full-blown argument. Remember, you are the business and therefore you have a professional image to uphold.
Try politely telling the customer that while their feedback is appreciated, there seems to be some sort of misunderstanding regarding what occurred. Then encourage the customer to contact you or a representative from your company to take the conversation offline and out of the public eye.
2. Do Not: Verbally Attack the Customer
It can be extremely frustrating when a customer leaves a negative review about your business. The most important thing to remember is to not stoop to their level. While the customer may be expressing extreme dissatisfaction with your business, you should use the review as an opportunity to resolve whatever issue it is that that customer had. Not only could it lead to mending your relationship with that customer, but it also shows others that your business cares about delivering high-quality customer service.
Try assuring the customer that if they are willing to get in touch with your business, then you would be happy to address and amend their concerns to the best of your ability.
3. Do Not: Say Nothing
As a business, you have the opportunity to respond to a negative review online, so don’t waste the opportunity. Your response will hopefully mend the situation and turn the unhappy customer into a more satisfied one as well as improve your business’s reputation. Customers reading online reviews will not just read the reviews – they will read the business’s response as well. So while you may not be concerned with making your unhappy customer happy, you want other customers to see a well-crafted response that showcases your business’s customer service skills.