How To Handle Negative Reviews Online

A bad review is seen as a terrible thing by most businesses but in all reality if handled right it can not only be a learning experience but can become a positive.  Of course I am not saying you would rather have a negative review than a positive but too many companies with a lack of experience responding to reviews on the internet are making these negatives even worse by their response. Negative reviews should be looked at as a way to learn how to improve your business as well as a way to show customers they matter to you.

It is inevitable  if you are running a business that at some point you will receive a negative review. Seeing someone speak negatively about your product you created or sell may hurt but the first step of responding to negatives reviews is not responding at all. The first step is to step back and take a deep breath because there is nothing worse than responding to a review when your emotions are not in check. Below is our guide to handling negative reviews.

1. Read, take a deep breath, and only answer when your emotions don’t affect the message.
2. Acknowledge up-front that the customer has a point, a simple sorry will do.
3. Provide details that let the customer know you read their review, automated or canned responses to negative reviews are worse than no response at all.
4. Provide details on how you are improving or changing because of their review and what they could expect in the future.
5. Invite them back to your business or to try your services again in the future as you will continue to improve with great feedback.
6. Thank them for their feedback.
7. Provide your full name along with contact information at the bottom of the message to make yourself available.

Of course this is just a simple generic run-down of how to respond to negative reviews but every review should be approached in a slightly different way depending on the details they provide. Also not every negative review deserves a response. Reviews that do not deserve a response include those with vulgar or incendiary comments as they are subject for removal by most websites and giving a response will only provide more fuel for the fire. Knowing the terms of service and rules of websites will also come into play as many bad reviews could be from competitors and even spam bots. If they violate the terms then you can have them removed or challenge the reviewer in which they will get a response to provide information on the review and a third party will decide whether the review can stay.

In a digital business world that is becoming more and more transparent you must have contact with your consumers whether their feedback is positive or negative. Not responding and interacting is no longer an option if you want to maintain a great reputation.