Responding To Negative Reviews

No matter how great your company is, you are going to get a negative review every once in a while. Negative customer reviews can be really discouraging and frustrating, but ignoring them will not solve anything. Knowing how to monitor and respond to negative reviews is important in keeping your brand’s integrity and your customers happy.

Keep Your Cool:

Critics can be really harsh, so take a deep breath before responding. The customer is just as frustrated as you are, so be kind and help defuse the situation. Really read their review to see what the issue is at hand, so you can have some potential solutions for them when you reach out.

Respond Quickly:

The longer your customer has to wait, the more irritated they will become. It is unrealistic to be available 24/7, but responding within a 24-hour window will help put your customer at ease. Be open with how long the issue will take to fix, and what steps you are taking to assist them. Do not just ignore the review, no matter how tempting that might be!

Remain Professional:

Address the reviewer by name if possible, and express your condolences. Let them know that you appreciate their business, and you want to work with them to resolve their problem. Your aim should be to make the customer feel heard and validated. Even if you think that they are in the wrong, be polite and considerate.

Do not get defensive when responding to negative reviews! Being defensive or accusatory is the fastest way to make a customer even more upset, and discourage prospective customers from shopping with you. Lashing out only makes you and your company look bad.

Apologize:

Even if you are confident that you are not in the wrong, issue some form of apology. Avoid putting blame on yourself until you know for certain that you are in the wrong. Instead, apologize for the inconvenience, their dissatisfaction, or whatever else they are upset about. Form a genuine apology, but make sure to phrase it carefully to avoid putting unnecessary blame on yourself or on your customer. Then, ask the customer to reach out on a private channel so that you can resolve the issue without an audience.

Make Positives Out Of The Negative:

Although negative reviews are not fun to get, there are some positives that can come from them. First, they can provide you with some insight to what customers are not satisfied with. This will allow you to make necessary improvements. Negative reviews also help potential customers decide if your product is right for them or not. Being able to make an informed purchase makes it more likely that they will purchase a product that is a good fit for them! Negative reviews also help prove that you are transparent, and not hiding anything from your customers. If they see a page that has only 5-star reviews, they will probably be a little hesitant to purchase from you. Most importantly, do not delete the negative reviews!

Negative reviews are a part of running a business. It is impossible to please customers all of the time, so use these reviews as a learning experience and a chance to improve your brand.