Reviews can be great way to get feedback from your customers and help manage your online reputation.
But how do you handle bad reviews? The worst thing you can do is ignore them. If your company doesn’t have a formal policy on responding to negative reviews, create one. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated; just make sure that everyone who deals with customers is aware of it.
When responding to bad reviews, keep in mind that you may not be able to change the customer’s mind. However, you can still show them respect by thanking them for sharing their experience and addressing any concerns they may have. If you do not engage, it looks like you have something to hide and gives the impression that you don’t care about your customers.
Before you respond to a negative review, consider why the customer felt compelled to leave a review in the first place. Are they dissatisfied with the product or service? Or is it something else?
If you’ve sold an item and it hasn’t arrived, or it’s damaged, chances are high that your customer is unhappy. Simply apologizing and shipping another one is usually enough to satisfy this type of buyer.
However, if they’re complaining about your actions as a business owner, that’s different. If they feel you’ve been unresponsive or unhelpful, now it’s time to step up and let them know you’re listening.
It’s tempting to argue or defend yourself when a customer gives you a bad review. However, the last thing you want to do is argue with your customers – even if they’ve given your company a one-star review – because the more you argue with people, the more it looks like an attack on their character
Understandably, there are times when bad reviews from customers can hurt your reputation for good
Here are some things to remember while responding:
Address the issue: Even if you cannot please everyone all of the time, take time to reply and acknowledge their point of view. If there is a factual mistake such as the wrong size or color, correct it immediately.
Ask for more details: If a customer complains about receiving an item that was damaged in shipping, ask for pictures or a return address so that you can send a replacement
Offer a solution: Consider offering a gesture of goodwill such as a partial refund or a coupon code for future purchases.
Keep it short and sweet: Respond only once to every review, but make sure your response is thorough enough so that other potential customers can see your side of the story.
While we recommend reading and responding to all customer reviews, it’s also important to recognize that negative reviews can be turned into positive ones. Responding publicly to bad reviews shows your dedication to customer service and helps you turn a potentially damaging review into an opportunity to help customers feel better about their purchase.
Considering there are multiple sites where your customer can leave a review, finding every online review manually and responding to it quickly is not possible. Online Reputation Management platforms Such as, ‘NearMe’ consolidates all that valuable customer feedback into a single dashboard making it easier for you to engage with customers immediately and build a better reputation.
