Every company has experienced some negative feedback. Whether you’re receiving unjustifiable complaints or you’ve recently experienced some tough times, it’s important to have a great reputation. Perception is everything, especially in the social media age. No business is immune to bad commentary, even if you have a history of positive interactions and quality service. One scathing criticism can tarnish what you’ve built. Here is our best advice on how to manage poor online reviews.
Empathy
Before getting frustrated, remember that everyone has different motivations for their actions. You can’t prevent someone from posting a poor review, but you can do everything in your power to understand the issue. For example, if you read a review that indicates poor customer service, perhaps that was the result of a poor interaction with an employee that was terminated. Alerting the reviewer to this can soften that blow.
Respond to Everything
When reviews come in, one best practice is to respond to everything. If you receive a review online, good or bad, follow up! If it’s positive you can thank them for the compliment and show that you appreciate that commentary. If it’s negative, you can thank them for reaching out and promise them that you’re making efforts to correct the issue.
Follow Up Quickly
Not only do you need to make sure you respond to reviews, but you also need to follow up quickly. If negative reviews persist, you need to assign someone to be accountable for this task. Hire someone to monitor all review pages and social media accounts to provide quick replies when clients reach out.
Due Diligence
It’s important to investigate any claims made in online reviews. If a customer says they experienced poor customer service, talk to your team to see if there’s an explanation for the situation. Obtaining information from both sides will help you know if changes need to be made, and how best to move forward.
Dilute with Positivity
Encouraging your satisfied customers to leave a great review is not only a great practice, but it can also help soften the blow when you receive negative feedback. One bad review can be diluted by multiple positive inputs. Consider a discount or incentive for customers that post a review on your website to bolster the amount of feedback to receive.
Looking for more ways to improve your reputation and focus on a positive company culture?
Check out Job Store Staffing®. As an agency with decades of valuable experience, we can provide insight on how to build your business and guarantee you’ve got the best team. Contact us today to learn more.