It happens to the best of businesses. Once in a while a customer will post a negative review that is going to influence potential customers about your business, products or service. It can't be helped.
What can be helped is the way you deal with an unhappy customer. Having a clear plan to manage the occasional negative review is essential for any business seriously interested in its long-term survival. Let's have a look at several ways you can minimize the impact of poor reviews, and indeed, turn them into a positive for all involved.
5 Tips for turning a negative review into a positive
- Don't fight back! - However much you want to defend yourself and your company, be sure you suppress the desire. It never works. You'll never be seen in a positive light. Preferably instead, take responsibility and use this opportunity to show awesome customer service.
- Answer promptly - Nothing is worse than simply ignoring a complaint or taking forever to get back to them. It indicates a basic lack of concern on your part in regards to the customer. Make sure you have some way to monitor mentions of your business, such as Google Alerts, to help you deal with these things quickly.
- Apologize and make amends - Nobody wants to hear a bunch of lame excuses, or even genuine ones. Offer a sincere apology for their experience, and generously offer a way to make it up to them. Doing so with sincerity can go a long way toward turning them around in your direction.
- Be transparent - Standing up and taking responsibility for your mistakes makes you look very good in the eyes of other customers who are watching. And they are watching!
- Ask for more reviews - The very best way to counteract the effect of negative reviews of your business is to generate more positive ones. Continually ask your customers to leave feedback for you, and chances are, if you are doing well, you'll get a majority of very good reviews. If not, you'll at least have a blueprint on how to fix what is wrong!
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