So what do you do when an angry customer decides to post harsh, undeserved negative reviews for you on Facebook, Google, Yelp or other review platforms?
Here are some ways you can get your business back on track after a negative review.
Don’t React Emotionally
Suppose you’ve ever read an angry complaint email from a disappointed customer. You know how heartbreaking it can be to know that somebody isn’t satisfied with the interaction they had with your business.
It can be tempting to react immediately and defend yourself against the accusation.
However, reacting in an emotional manner will only dig a deeper hole for you to climb out of. You must avoid lashing out at your audience and be sure to maintain a calm demeanor as you explain that you are sorry for the miscommunication or miscue.
Think About Your Response
It’s a good idea to take some time to think about your response. If you are angry or upset, it will be difficult to compose a response that is sensitive and apologetic. It’s best to take a little time and step away from the situation so that you can come back with a clear head.
Of course, you don’t want to wait too long to respond to any complaints or negative reviews about your business. If you do take too long to respond, it may appear that your business is unresponsive and simply ignores the complaints of its customers.
Be Courteous And Professional
It can be hard to remain level-headed when someone smears your company’s name, especially when it’s somewhere public like a Google or Yelp review.
However, it would be best if you kept in mind that other people are watching, and those people will see how you respond to negative mentions of your business online. Therefore, make sure that you remain courteous and professional when you respond to complaints and bad reviews.
If and whenever possible, we recommend that you try and offer some solution to your customer’s problems or complaints. It can be difficult to know how a customer feels about your business until you try and reach out and help them.
Not Everyone Is Perfect
It’s also important to realize that it’s impossible to keep everybody happy all the time, and that’s OK! And no matter what, you’re likely going to encounter the occasional bad customer who is simply impossible to satisfy.
However, the good news is that unless a business gets consistent bad reviews, one or two complaints or negative reviews amongst dozens or hundreds of positive reviews won’t mean the end of your brand reputation.
It’s important to address complaints, but you also need to know when to move on as a business and keep your other customers happy rather than focusing too much on an incident with a single overly demanding customer.
Consult A Professional
Depending on the severity of the issue you’re having with your brand’s reputation, you might want to consider consulting with a professional PR expert or a social media expert. A PR expert can help teach you about the type of press releases and content you might want to start putting out to lessen the blow.
If you’re dealing with any legal implications or business lawsuits, a lawyer is likely the best avenue to help you recover your reputation. A lawyer can help you understand your options, prevent further damage to your brand and put you in a better position to make a more informed decision.
Remember that responding quickly and effectively is essential to avoid having your business look worse than the situation makes you out to be.
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Tips For Recovering Your Brand’s Reputation
When things go wrong with customers, clients, or business partners, altercations can sometimes cause a significant stain on your business’s online reputation.
However, just because you might have a few bad reviews, that doesn’t mean that you’ll never recover. The trick is to respond proactively, rather than emotionally, offer solutions to the problem when possible, and contact a professional PR expert if the situation requires it.
Guest Post Author: Guy Reeves
