Six Ways to Deal With Negative Reviews

Unfortunately, for every 100 customers that can’t get enough of your product, you’ll probably encounter one or two people who don’t have kind things to say. Whether their assessment is true or you’re dealing with a troll, you’ll want to address these negative reviews in order to let the person feel heard and to prevent potential customers from being put off by the negative comments.

Here are some tips for dealing with any less-than-stellar review you may receive:

First, don’t ignore them

When you see a negative review about your brand, your first thought might be to slam your laptop shut and hope the words go away when you log back on later. Unfortunately, unless the reviewer has decided to revise their opinion, you’re probably going to see the same review staring back at you when you return to the site later.

In many cases, the negative reviewer simply wants to be heard. As much as it might pain you, it’s essential to address the bad review. Even if this doesn’t pacify the complainer, if a potential customer sees a bad review without a response, they might assume you don’t care much about customer service and opt to shop elsewhere.

Apologize if necessary

Even if you’re more than sure that your business did nothing wrong and the customer is overreacting, a sincere apology goes a long way. Even if you’re not sorry about a specific incident or issue the customer is describing, you can still feel sorry that the person was bothered by what took place.

Don’t take it personally

If there’s an especially colorful review waiting for you, you may feel defensive and be tempted to fire a few thoughts of your own back at the customer. Unfortunately, all this will do is further escalate the situation and make potential customers question whether they should do business with you. Instead, make it a point to keep it professional and polite at all times, even if it feels like a challenge.

Offer to make contact with the person offline

If there’s an issue that needs to be solved, it’s best to contact the person directly, versus going back and forth on the site where the complaint was lodged. Ask the individual if they’d be willing to chat offline in order to resolve the problem.

Don’t be afraid to ask to have false or incorrect reviews removed

While everyone is entitled to their opinion, if someone is making up stories to try to get free merchandise, it’s your prerogative to ask to have the review removed by the platform’s provider.

Encourage your happy customers to leave reviews

Unfortunately, many people only think to leave a review if they’re upset about something. On the bright side, you’ve probably got lots of happy customers who would be thrilled to leave you a review, you just have to ask. Don’t be shy. Most people are happy to support the businesses they like through a positive review.

Don’t let one or two negative reviews get you down or cast down in your mind about if you’re in the right field. When these issues are addressed promptly and handled professionally everyone benefits. If you’ve got questions about handling negative reviews, I’m here to help. Contact Me.