How to Respond to Negative Reviews Like a Pro

Around 1905, several retailers are credited with coining the phrase, “The customer is always right.” However, there is more to this phrase. It continues with the qualifier “in matters of taste.” While the first part of the quote is frequently used to prioritize customer retention above all else, the complete quote notes that unreasonable customer behavior does not have to be tolerated. Knowing that phrase, what is the best way to respond to negative reviews in today’s business environment?

What are the Four Types of Negative Reviews?

1. The one-star review that offers no details.
2. The rant that keeps going on and on about one issue.
3. The detailed one-star review that names people, places, and things.
4. The review that mentions a competitor favorably.

Do Not Respond Poorly to Negative Customer Reviews

The apparent reason for posting an article or how to respond when a customer gives your business a negative review is that there are decidedly wrong ways to address the issue. If you allow your temper or frustration to get the better of you, your response can damage your brand’s reputation, remove customer trust, and discourage shoppers from becoming customers. Moreover, there is a chance that your adverse reaction will go viral.

For example, getting defensive or arguing with the customer yields no results. It makes matters worse because your company looks unprofessional. Simply ignoring the bad review is just as bad. It demonstrates that your business does not care about customer feedback and experiences. Deleting negative reviews is considered manipulative and dishonest.

However, there are also some pitfalls if you do decide to respond. Generic responses such as “Thank you for your feedback” accomplish nothing. Implying that the customer is to blame for a product failure deflects responsibility from the business, but it comes across as unprofessional. Even when you try to make things right, you might make mistakes, particularly if you make unrealistic promises. Unless you know you can follow through, do not make the promise.

Negative Reviews are Inevitable

Some companies rely on review response templates to address negative customer comments. These typically provide a step-by-step approach to dealing with the problem. They usually begin with an apology, offer a solution, and end with gratitude for the customer’s taking the time to address the issue. While generic templates are not the best way to respond to negative reviews, they remove any emotional response to negative reviews from the equation.

However, these templates address fundamental aspects of what customers expect.

• The business is listening.
• The business acknowledges that it did not meet the customer’s expectations.
• The business apologizes and validates the customer.
• The business formulates a way to correct the situation.
• The business’ representative adds a personal touch that removes the formulaic aspect of the response.

Another point of contention is the timeline. How quickly should you respond to negative reviews? In the case of bona fide reviews, remember that there is a real customer on the other side of the screen. They are sufficiently upset to leave a review. Therefore, responding is not something you should put off for days or even weeks. Instead, for an excellent impression, respond within 24 to 48 hours.

Sometimes, the Customer is Wrong. But You Cannot Really Say That.

What happens when you respond to bad reviews that are wrong or unfair. You still need to focus on reputation repair and crisis mitigation steps. That said, you do not have to roll over completely. Remember that sometimes a customer is frustrated, confused, or inexperienced using a product or service.

In these instances, the best way to respond to negative reviews is to explain briefly the company’s reasons for the problem and then focus the lion’s share of your response on the commitment to the customer to make things right. It is fine to say a problem was a mix-up, as long as you then underscore the steps you will take to make the customer happy.

Responding to Fake Bad Reviews

Fake reviews are a thing. Some internet users leave bad reviews for companies they have never done business with. Tread lightly! Remember that a negative response can go viral and poorly reflect your brand. Moreover, it may prevent real customers from approaching your company.

Do not call the poster out directly. Instead, explain that your business takes customer feedback seriously, but cannot find any record of the negative experience in your system. Then, encourage the poster to contact you directly at a dedicated email address so you can learn more about the incident and resolve any issues. Most internet users will understand that this response indicates a potentially fake or malicious review. That said, you are responding professionally and with care.

When you are sure that you are dealing with fake reviews, flag them to the platform on which they appear. For example, Google and Yelp have procedures for companies to report counterfeit reviews for violating guidelines. The guidelines usually refer to reviews being based on an authentic customer experience, not containing false claims, and not being spam.

How to Turn a Negative Review Into a Positive Advertisement for Your Business

So far, we have looked for ways to respond to unhappy customers, draft sincere apology statements, retain the customer, and encourage other shoppers to continue doing business with your brand. We have also examined fake reviews and how to address them professionally. Now, it is time to figure out how negative reviews can actually become positive advertisements and brand-building experiences for your company.

Even Google’s review response guide refers to negative feedback responses as a “secret weapon for building trust with potential customers. After all, customers know that doing business is not all sunshine and rainbows. There will be defective products, bad service, or misunderstandings. It makes the company feel real, and your professional response puts a human touch on customer interactions.

The Response Boosts Your SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to the use of keywords and phrases that help shoppers find your product, service, or company’s online presence. Never turn away an opportunity to work in SEO into any and all communication opportunities. For starters, getting any review boosts your rankings. Secondly, the response you make should be crafted with SEO in mind. While it makes the negative element more visible, it also makes your professional response shine.

Online Reputation Management Proves That Your Business is Not Too Big (or Small) to Care

Crafting a positive response to a negative review shows the human side of your company. It introduces you (or another employee) as a caring representative who wants to take responsibility. Doing so builds trust, which is critical, particularly for small businesses. It also reinforces that you put customer satisfaction first, which is essential for large companies.

Another Opportunity to Address Your Ideal Customer Demographic

You work with an ideal customer persona when devising your sales funnel goals. It is the target of your advertising and branding strategies. Responses to negative reviews can be another way of interacting with this persona. Remember that hundreds or thousands of other consumers will read the review and your response. This exposure gives you an excellent opportunity to show your professionalism, kindness, and willingness to make things right.

Examples of Negative Review Replies

• The product arrived broken. “This is (manager’s name). I’m sorry the item arrived broken. I’ve sent out a replacement today. We’ll also look at how we package our orders to prevent this from happening again. Thank you for your feedback!”
• The product stopped working. “This is (manager’s name). You are absolutely right; the product should have lasted much longer than it did. I’m sorry this happened and sent you a replacement. I’d love to discuss what happened with the product with you in detail. When you can, please contact me at (phone number) to talk more.”
• An employee did something wrong. “This is (manager’s name). I agree with your assessment, what the employee does does not reflect our brand or commitment to the customer. Please accept our apology and a coupon for a free item. We have addressed the issue with the employee and are also talking to other staff members about this issue. Again, thank you for bringing this to my attention!”

What do all these customer service responses have in common? They identify the responding individual by name, create a personal interaction, and only after a solution, expand to include the company as a whole.

What to Do With a Bad Review

It is tempting to respond professionally and eventually attempt to bury it. Doing so is a bad idea. Let your treatment of the problem speak for the company. However, do not view bad reviews as opportunities to placate and retain customers. They could also be excellent opportunities for doing things better. Sometimes, it might mean changing how you handle product packaging, customer service calls, or service packages.

Making changes is essential when you receive multiple bad reviews about a particular aspect of your product or service. You may also need to review company policies when there is direct criticism about how you do business. Remember that prospective customers see your responses to negative reviews and notice when the same problems are mentioned repeatedly.

If there is no change, it reflects poorly on your brand.

A Word on Social Media Complaint Handling

So far, we have assumed that you are handling complaints from customers posting to your website or a public rating site. But what happens when the complaint is on your social media profile? Handling complaints on social media effectively is essential because of its public nature. At the same time, social media moves fast, and before you know it, a bad review or negative mention has hundreds of other user responses.

Get in Front of Social Media Complaints

Responding quickly is critical. The goal should be to respond within an hour, or at least on the same business day. Even if you assure the customer that you are looking into it and will get back to them, doing so is better than waiting. Many larger companies have employees monitoring social media, hashtags, and tagged comments.

Remember That Everyone is Watching

Your company’s followers and the complaining customers’ friends watch the exchange in real time. Stay calm, be polite, respond professionally, and do not be afraid to acknowledge a problem. From there, apologize and find a way to make it right for the customer. Your public response shows that your company takes complete responsibility and commits to excellent customer service. Once this is established, suggest taking the conversation private via direct messages.

Keep the Interaction on the Page

You have dealt with the problem, and the customer is now satisfied. Do not delete the complaint! It is a brand-building opportunity showing your commitment to complete transparency and accountability. Besides that, some social media platform users will check back to see if you deleted the interaction. (It is petty, but they do.)

Integrate Reputation Management Software Into Your Daily Business Interactions

Keeping an eye on positive or negative reviews can be a full-time job, and you likely do not have the time to browse Google, Yelp, and other platforms hourly. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help you here. Reputation management software does the monitoring for you. It also gives you an opportunity for a fast response that simply acknowledges the situation. You can then follow it up later with the type of personalized response we discussed earlier.

Investing in an online review monitoring platform for small business owners also makes sense because each review and customer interaction increases consumer engagement with the brand. Additionally, it gives you insights into what customers are looking for. This type of market research will help you set your company apart from the competition.

We want to help you with all aspects of online reputation management. Understanding how to respond well, avoid the pitfalls, and address the customer directly are essential elements of being in business. Our team consistently looks for ways to make this process quick, easy, and doable. Schedule a call today!