Online reviews play a key role in shaping consumer decisions. According to a Podium survey, around 93 percent of users say online reviews influence whether or not they make a purchase. Unfortunately, negative reviews are unavoidable for most businesses. How you respond to negative reviews is one of the most important tests you’ll face as an entrepreneur. Here are our tips to help you respond to negative reviews online.
1. Timing is Key
Timing is essential when responding to a negative review. There’s no need to rush a response, but we recommend answering the customer complaint within 48 hours. A speedy response shows that you’re engaged and eager to help customers. Plus, this response will give others confidence that you’re a trustworthy person to do business with.
2. Avoid Stock Responses
Customers don’t want to feel patronized, especially when they’ve taken the time to register a complaint. Avoid using stock responses, marketing lingo, and industry jargon in your correspondence. Keep it simple and authentic, as customers appreciate a human touch.
3. Apologize
One of the first, and easiest things you can do is apologize and empathize with the customer’s position. As you establish what happened, try to move the conversation to direct messages instead of a public forum. Whether you believe the customer was right or wrong, apologizing publicly shows you took the time to respond and tried to make things right.
4. Make it Right
If you find out the customer has a legitimate issue with your product or service, do your best to make things right. The fact is, trying to win that customer back is going to cost you less than trying to find a completely new customer.
At least offer them the cost of the product or service they found unsatisfactory. If that’s not enough, offer a full refund. Not every customer can be won back, but it’s always worth a try.
5. Take It in Stride
Use negative feedback as an opportunity to improve. Ask the customer how you could improve the product or service in question. Then, look at your processes and find ways to ensure the mistake won’t be repeated. Having customers help shape the future of your business is a powerful way to foster loyalty and returning customers.
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