Should You Respond to Negative Reviews? If So, How?

Customer reviews are vital for your marketing campaign. In fact, research shows that reviews can have an impact on your search ranking. The majority of consumers trust an online review the same way they trust a personal referral. Unfortunately, not all reviews are positive. Whether you like it or not, your company will receive some negative reviews. Are negative reviews a bad thing? For some, they are. For others, however, they use these them to work in their favor. In fact, knowing how to respond to negative reviews can turn them into a business opportunity.

Approach Them with a Positive Attitude

If you’ve worked in customer service, then you know how difficult it is to handle an irate customer. Negative reviews can make you upset, and as a human being, the first thing you might want to do is defend your company. Instead, handle those reviews with a positive attitude. Make sure that the reviewers know you heard them and let them feel like they’re the victim. You may also think that ignoring the review would be a good idea, but it isn’t. Your consumers want you to respond so they know you truly care about your customers.

Tell Them How You’ll Fix the Issue

Simply offering an apology won’t do any good, because the reviewers want a solution to the problem. After apologizing, tell your customers that you’re looking into the problem and finding out how to fix it. Be empathetic when responding and follow it up with an immediate fix. Doing so will help redeem yourself and show you’re customers that they’re a priority.

Address the negative reviews Offline

Although it’s always a good idea to respond immediately online or on the same platform, there are issues that you can’t fix online. It’s especially true if the issues involved a personal information that you must only discuss in-person or over the phone. Taking it offline will show your customers that you’re going the extra mile just to resolve your clients’ issues.

Speak to Them in Understandable Language

When you respond to your customers, never talk in industry jargon. Instead, use plain language to sound more genuine. This way, your customers will see you as a human being and not as a business.

Ask for an Update

After resolving the issue, never hesitate to ask for an update. Some customers will update their negative reviews and turn them into a positive one after the company asked for an updated review. So, try asking for the reviewer to revisit their thoughts after you’ve solved their problem. To get more information about how our experts can help you with your Online Reputation Management, call Website Depot at (888) 477-9540.