3 Steps to Handle Bad Online Reviews
Did you know that 70% of your leads will read your reviews before purchasing your product? The days of relying on impressive advertising are over! Your leads now have full access to your customer’s opinions and experiences, both positive and negative right from their smart phone.
With so many people going online to review companies and products, it’s important to know how to handle the bad ones. Here are my 3 steps to handling bad online reviews.
STEP #1 - ACKNOWLEDGE
People who post reviews are social, the best way to fix their problem is by communicating.
Okay, so you came across a bad review. The first thing you need to do, after taking a deep breath, is to not take it personal. This client is upset with your services or your product, not you. If you want to achieve a positive outcome, you have to take all emotions out of the situation and acknowledge their frustration.
Acknowledging a bad review doesn’t make you weak and it doesn’t mean you agree with it. You have to think of the bigger picture and the influence it could have over future potential clients.
Acknowledge it quickly. People who post reviews are social and the best way to solve the problem is through communication. If a client is frustrated, making them wait for a solution can not only make things worse but turn them off to your business entirely.
Not responding to bad reviews makes the review seem that much more valid, because it shows a low level of customer care. You may not always have the time to troubleshoot it immediately, but simple replies can elevate your favor with the client and shows potential clients you are dedicated.
Example Auto Reply: “Hi Julie, we’re not used to our clients feeling like this, we’ll be contacting you shortly to fix it.”
STEP #2 - TROUBLE-SHOOT
The easy part!
After you've acknowledge the review, take it to private message. You never want to have a conversation with an upset client in public. Send them a private message and ask what the best time would be to contact them to talk about the problem.
Many times you can even use private messaging and come to an agreement without having to calling the client, that part is up to you.
STEP #3 - TURN IT AROUND
Turn the negative into a positive
If you and the client have come to a mutual agreement and the client is now satisfied, feel free to ask them to re-evaluate their previous review. Transparency builds loyal clients and being honest about the impact of their bad review shows confidence and dedication.
If the platform they used to post the original review does not allow them to edit, then ask them to write a new, more positive review about their new experience and how the problem was fixed. Again, transparency is everything and potential clients will not only appreciate it, but respect you for it.
Having all perfect reviews is rare and not always the best strategy. Everyone is human and the truth is that mistakes happen and at times clients choose to be relentlessly unsatifsifed. It’s important to never take your reviews personally and identify which bad reviews are actually worth troubleshooting.
Set some time aside and go through your reviews. Extend a private message to a couple of the workable bad ones and show your dedication towards fixing the problem. Follow my 3 simple steps when you do it, I think you’ll be surprised.
*Every industry is different and it’s important that you’re familiar with the legalities behind online communication, especially in the medical and legal fields. When in doubt, use private messaging as a gateway to a private phone call.