How to Handle Negative Customer Reviews Online

Online review matter a lot. Google themselves have said that positive reviews and customer-business interactions improve organic visibility. Customer reviews can have a significant impact on your online business’s outcome. These reviews can make or break other customers’ decision to go ahead with your business.

Just like in the real world, online reviews help give people a better idea of the business and its effectiveness. People get a better judgement on the company’s offering. And that’s why all brands should be working towards maintaining a positive outlook in the online world and should work towards correcting the unfavourable reviews of the customers.

Negative feedback is tough to handle. It’s even tougher to handle angry customers. That’s why there are several different ways in which you can handle these negative reviews in the online world.

1. Quick answers:

When someone is upset with your business and comments regarding his experience, you should be swiftly responding to the comment as soon as possible. Rapid responses are the right thing to do and can also help limit the damage.

2. Thoughtful answers:

All review responses, including the negative ones, need to be appreciated for their real value. Every feedback is critical, and even more if the input is negative. These reviews help you understand what is going wrong with your business and understand the pain points of your customers. Always appreciate their effort to communicate with your brand.

3. Honest answers:

Honesty has always been the best policy. Since no business is perfect, it is better to maintain transparency with your customers. Addressing your customer’s complaint with an honest response can help positively take things. This helps the business in the long run.

4. Be kind:

A business should never stoop down to unprofessionalism, no matter how nasty the reviews get. When addressing your customer’s complaint, always stay positive, think about your customer’s point-of-view and always offer an apology. Acting negatively will only supplement to more bad reviews.

5. Make it custom:

Genuinely caring about your customer’s emotions goes a long way. Instead of sounding like an automated response, give the people the attention they deserve. A custom response can show empathy and compassion towards your customer’s pain point.

6. Never get personal:

It is okay to be thoughtful and unique with your response, but never get personal and never should you attack or retaliate. Always handle reviews like a real business professional, as the business has more to lose than the customer.

7. Take it offline:

Taking communication offline is the standard procedure for handling negative reviews. Don’t wait for the unsatisfied customer to reach out to you. Instead, reach out to the customer, get their contact info, the best time to talk to them and apologize for the issue they are facing. The first response to a negative review is the essential one.

8. Be appreciative:

Good or bad – all reviews are useful feedback. Whenever someone gives you criticism, be thankful that they are offering you the chance to make it right. A negative review can also be an excellent way to keep customers coming back, only if you are handling their issues right.

Your online presence runs a lot on what the people of the internet have to say about you. No matter how good or bad it gets, it's better to keep every customer happy. If you are a business struggling with your online presence, you can come up to us at ValueHits, and we can help you out with our Online Reputation Management Services! Give us a call or surf our website to know more.