Having an online presence is not only beneficial but necessary for businesses to be successful. However, with the convenience and prevalence of the internet comes the ability for customers to speak their mind and for a worldwide audience to listen.
As a business, it’s impossible to avoid bad reviews. There’s going to be someone somewhere at some point who isn’t happy with your services or product and is going to go public with their experience. Since negative reviews are inevitable, you need to use them to benefit your business.
How can you do this? The following are some genuine, concrete steps that, if used appropriately, can help you recover from a bad review of your business.
Answer Promptly
Should you ever be notified or see a bad review of your business online, it’s important to take control of the situation by answering the person who left the review as quickly as possible.
Responding promptly to a negative review demonstrates your readiness to handle adverse situations where the customer might have felt wronged. It also shows current and potential clients that you’re taking responsibility for the problem and not leaving the customer to feel negatively about your business.
Make Your Apology Personal
When you do answer said customer, make your apology personal. Don’t post a generic message that sounds like anyone could have written it. Make it as personal as you can with the information you were given.
For example, always address the person by their name if it was given. Then directly address the situation. Don’t sidestep any claims about what may have happened. Face the situation head on and don’t make excuses for why the issue might have occurred. Apologize to the person and vow to follow up with the problem.
Follow Up with the Reviewer
Your next step is to follow up with the alleged incident or issue. Do your part to find out what happened and if the customer was valid in making their claims. Once you’ve done your due diligence, follow up with the reviewer.
Let them know that you looked into the issue and have addressed every possible fault on your company’s behalf. You can and should offer to correct the situation, whether it’s refunding the customer’s order, providing a complementary service, or sending a gift card.
Be Diligent
When it comes to addressing bad reviews, diligence is going to be the best way to redeem yourself and your business. It’s essential to address every single negative review. This way, clients know that your business appreciates its customers and is always striving to improve.
It’s important to be consistent so new clients see that you respond to every comment and that you’re working to make things better. Clients who see that a company is diligent about handling issues are more likely to consider working with your business or ordering your product.
Remember That This Is an Opportunity
While bad reviews can certainly be disheartening, remember that this is an opportunity to learn and improve. Negative comments or reviews are a chance for you to show customers your professionalism and diligence when handling adverse situations and making customers happy.
This is also a chance to improve your company as well as your customer service. Use negative feedback as an opportunity to show employees how to respond in such situations and use the information given in the review to address the problem at hand.
Seeing a bad review can bring up a myriad of reactions, but it’s important to stay calm and remember that this is a chance for you to show your customers who you really are. When you get a negative review, taking these steps can help to fully address the problem, show that your company is on top of the situation, and present your best face to the world. So go do it!