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Getting a negative review can feel like a slap in the face. You work so hard every day, hustling like a mad person to run your business, managing your employees, keeping your customers happy, paying your bills and all the other 100 hats you wear. You may not have time to respond to all the reviews you’re getting online, but you better make time to respond appropriately to negative reviews. Watch the video below for more info:
Instead of responding to negative reviews with anger, keep in mind that this is an opportunity to allow others to see you at your best. Responding to a negative review allows you to address both that particular customer’s issues and more importantly put the concerns of future prospects to rest. It’s a good idea to have a plan in place on how you will do so to both minimize the damage and maximize the opportunity.
Business owner responses allow you to build relationships with customers, but they’re also public. When replying to your customers (whether happy or unhappy), keep the following guidelines (courtesy of Google) in mind:
- Be nice and don’t get personal. This isn’t just a guideline–it’s also a good idea as a business owner. It’s difficult to win an argument with a frustrated customer, and you want to avoid burning bridges. Keep your responses useful, readable, and courteous.
- Keep it short and sweet. Users are looking for useful and genuine responses, but they can easily be overwhelmed by a long response.
- Thank your reviewers. Respond to happy reviewers when you have new or relevant information to share. You don’t need to thank every reviewer publicly (although we at Suite 4 recommend that you do). Each response reaches lots of customers, not just one, so if you don’t have time or you don’t have someone managing reviews for you, then try to respond as often as possible.
- Be a friend, not a salesperson. Your reviewers are already customers, so there’s no need to offer incentives or advertisements. Tell reviewers something new about your business, or share something they might not know from their first visit.
I hope this helps!