Customers love sharing their opinions of a company. Unfortunately, that opinion isn’t always favorable.
Customers who have a negative experience are more likely to leave a review than their cheery counterparts.
These reviews can sting, affecting your pride and your business’ bottom line. Still, it’s important to address negative reviews in a timely, professional manner.
Keep reading to learn how you can turn a negative into a positive.
1. Take a Breath
Seeing a one-star review or a page-long rant can send your heart sinking. This is your business, after all. You’ve poured your blood, sweat, and tears into making your dream company a reality.
It’s understandable to be upset, but a snappy response won’t do anyone any good.
Instead, don’t feel the need to respond immediately. Take some time to cool down so you can write a reply that doesn’t exacerbate the situation.
2. Consider the Customer’s Viewpoint
Even if a negative review is off-base, there’s almost always a nugget of truth in there somewhere.
Once you feel calm enough to address the review again, go back and reread it. Ignore the emotion and address the issue. Does the customer have a point?
Empathizing — even when you disagree with the customer’s overall assessment — can help you come up with a solution that allows everyone to walk away happy.
3. Be Genuine
There’s nothing more offensive to an upset customer than a phony apology. What’s more, people can smell disingenuousness a mile away. And in an age where authenticity can make or break your reputation, a poorly worded apology can make a bad situation far worse.
Be careful in crafting your response.
Yes, your reputation management needs to take a professional approach. But a professional response isn’t the same thing as a robotic response.
Your reply can’t come across as corporate or canned. Instead, make sure it comes from the heart.
4. Look for a Resolution
Businesses often think that a negative review is the end of the line for an unhappy customer. But don’t give up so easily.
While it may be impossible to reason with your unhappy client, there’s never any harm in trying to reach a mutual agreement. Find a way to bring the customer back to your business while showing them that you can deliver a better experience.
That can mean using anything from freebies to coupons to get an angry customer back in your doors.
And though that may sound like a way to lose money, retaining customers is always more affordable than attracting new ones.
Don’t Let Negative Reviews Ruin Your Reputation
Seeing negative reviews of your business can be upsetting. But remember, your online presence represents your company.
Use these tips to stay calm, cool, and collected and you may just win unhappy customers back!
If you’re looking for help with your reputation management, be sure to get in touch. We’d love to tell you how our goal-focused approaches can help you grow your business.
Also, if you are looking for a reviews management tool, check out More Thumbs Up.
