No matter how much you strive to make every interaction you have with your customers positive, just about every business will eventually face a negative review. How you handle these situations is one of the most important parts of effective online reputation management for your business.
Should You Respond to Negative Reviews About Your Business?
You should always respond to negative reviews about your business because these interactions have a strong influence on how your online audience views your business. However, it’s vital that you handle this situation in the right way.
You have the potential to turn the interaction around and show your business in a positive light, but you also run the risk of exacerbating the situation and doing some real damage to your brand. Knowing how to handle these types of interactions is vital as a business owner in the digital age. Here are some tips to follow that will help you know how to handle this situation.
Reputation Management Tips When Dealing with Negative Reviews
Acknowledge and Empathize
It’s easy to feel like you’re being personally attacked when somebody leaves a negative review for your business. However, letting your emotions get the better of you and lashing out will only make the situation worse. Other customers will see this negative response from you and will likely be dissuaded from doing business with you.
Instead of lashing out, make the reviewer feel seen by acknowledging their complaints as valid. Empathize with their viewpoint, as this will go a long way to defusing the situation and giving you the chance to turn their impression of your business into a positive one.
Show a Willingness to Grow
Along with being acknowledged, customers who leave a negative review also want to feel like their feedback is being taken into account. Showing that you’re willing to take other viewpoints into consideration without compromising on the values your brand was built on is an important part of handling a negative review.
Take time to understand what caused the negative experience that led to the review. In your response, show what steps you’re willing to take to correct that experience and ensure the customer can have a better experience next time.
Get Help Managing Your Brand
With everything else that you have to do as a business owner, handling the delicate situation of responding to a negative review might be too much to put on your plate. Getting help from experts who specialize in managing the reputation of businesses online can go a long way towards improving the results you get from your digital presence.
Think you could benefit from the digital marketing expertise that our team offers? We’ll help you deal with negative reviews the correct way as part of the comprehensive services we provide. Contact STAT LEAD Marketing today and let us help you energize your business’ online presence!