Cool Tips on How to Respond to Negative Reviews

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Negosentro.comThe internet has made marketing and developing relationships with customers much easier; everyone you want to connect and talk with is at the tip of your fingers. However, this is a two-way street as now customers are able to communicate with you and your business just as easily.

Every customer is going to have a different experience with your business. The dream is for all of them to be perfect and leave 5-star reviews everywhere. But the truth of the matter is that there aren’t going to be some people who don’t do that. Very few customers are ever rarely satisfied with their experience. 

In fact, more often than not, the customers that are going to leave a review are going to be the ones that had a not so stellar time. With a newfound ability for those customers to post their experience on a website like Yelp for the public to see, these negative reviews aren’t just something you can ignore.

The true test of character is how you respond. Due to the public and connected nature of the online world, your responses can and will be viewed by just about everyone. In fact, 89 percent of consumers read the replies a business leaves on reviews. 

So, in a world where people can leave comments about a poor interaction at your business, you need to have the knowledge of what to do ready and available. Luckily Housecall Pro, a software company for businesses, curated a lot of data and developed a method for responding to these negative reviews. 

For starters, a perfect response to a negative review will include these parts:

  • Thank the customer for bringing the issue to your attention
  • Acknowledge their issue and issue an apology
  • Empathize with the customer and let them know you understand their frustration
  • Take the conversation offline by providing an email or phone number for them to call
  • Off a reasonable remedy—you can’t always offer a free product to every negative review

Following that outline will definitely generate great results. Not only will the initial commenter feel glad that they are being heard, but other people will see your business as trustworthy.

Sometimes, a customer will update their review and explain how you reached out and offered to remedy the solution. When they do, it’s a good idea to update your response after the customer updates theirs. 

Not all customers are going to update their responses. Whether or not they do, it’ll be a good idea to respond in gratitude. Thank them again for allowing you to clear up any miscommunication. Let them know they can reach out anytime they have an issue that needs to be addressed.

What you definitely shouldn’t do is respond with hostility or anger. Here’s what not to do:

  • Take offense
  • Belittle the customer
  • Make any unsavory jokes

You should never react harshly or negatively to negative reviews. Remember, you are representing a business and you need to act professionally. Responding with a scorched Earth kind of mentality can cause other customers to view you as unkind and unfriendly. 

Remember to treat every customer with respect and compassion: sometimes a mistake was made and a simple apology and gesture can fix it. It’ll also make all the difference in everyone’s eyes, not just the customer who left the initial review.

These tips from Housecall Pro about how to respond to negative reviews can help. What’s great is that you can adapt and apply the same principles to social media posts, comments or messages.

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