How to Deal with a Negative Review

How to Deal with a Negative Review

Negative online reviews are never nice and how you handle them could either make or break your business. Find out how to tackle these bad reviews correctly.

If you have a busy business with a lot of customers, it is almost inevitable that at some point you will receive a bad review. Don’t let this put you off asking customers for reviews as you are likely to receive many more positive reviews. Here are some tips for dealing with bad reviews:

Keep an eye on your business reviews.

You should monitor any review sites/platforms you use for any comments about your business. You don’t want to find out weeks later that someone wrote something bad about you which you have missed. Whether the feedback is good or bad, make sure you respond promptly to them. Most review sites can send you an email alerting you of a new review.

Stay professional.

If you do get a bad review, keep calm and remain polite and professional at all times. Don’t respond defensively or let your emotions get the better of you. Think carefully about what they are saying and why and think carefully about providing a measured response.

Respond online but take ongoing issues offline.

Provide a response online to show other readers that you are taking the complaint seriously. If you are in disagreement with the reviewer, try to move the issue offline. This avoids the reviewer saying anything else bad about you in public.

What could you have done better?

Think of a negative review as an opportunity to respond positively. If you can solve the issue with the customer and restore their faith in your business you both win. You have more chance of getting the reviewer to take down or change their review if you fix the problem. Remember, other customers will be observing how you respond and will respond positively to a good attitude.

Challenge misleading reviews.

You can challenge any misleading or defamatory reviews. Most review sites have an option to dispute reviews. If this doesn’t work, you could ask a solicitor to write them a letter to even take legal action against them. Remember that court cases can be very time consuming and expensive so think carefully about the cost vs benefit of doing this.

A fresh approach to managing your online reputation.

Online reviews have the ability to make or break many businesses. We work closely with our customers to advise on digital marketing strategies that encourage positive reviews. We are also on hand to offer advice when they come across any issues. Let us know if you think you need help managing your businesses online reputation.

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