How to Deal with Negative Online Reviews

Online customers’ feedback plays an important role in your organic visibility on Google and online reputation. Unfortunately, in the sea of positive and grateful reviews, there will be always a few with a negative mood. It happens even with the most famous and popular brands, but the small companies take it more personally and regard as a threat to their business. In fact, there is nothing extraordinary here. The only thing you need is to learn how to handle negative online reviews. Any situation is an experience, and in this article, we will provide you a few insights on how to use negative feedback for your benefit and strengthen your position.

1. Always Reply

Ignorance is the worst thing ever you may choose to do. Yes, the client may be wrong or just too emotional, but he/she has come across some negative experience and may wish to share it with the others/get clarifications/help from your company. If you do not react, it may have serious consequences. 1) You may lose this customer forever, and if you are a small company, you will feel it. 2) The other customers may think you even do not care about people’s impressions of doing business with you.

Spend a minute to write a positive and personalized response to the customer. Be polite and friendly, estimate the situation adequately, and if there is your false, admit it, and apologize. The other people will admit it, and this strategy will help you increase positive online reviews.

2. Don’t Get Personal

We understand that when it comes to the business of all your life, it is difficult to control the emotions, especially if the customer is not objective or biased. However, your response to the negative comment also influences online reputation. No one would understand when you use a rude manner to answer the unhappy customer. Even if the truth is with your company, it will turn the audience against you. This is a crucial rule for business owners – be always positive and friendly oriented despite the situation: reacting to the positive or negative review, offering new services, etc. Otherwise, even with the help of the best digital marketing agency services, you would have trouble to restore your reputation and return the loyalty of your clients.

3. Go Offline

In some cases, the apology may be enough, but if the customer has received a damaged product or not the one he/she ordered, etc. you would need to consider how to fix this unpleasant misunderstanding and finally, provide the customer with a positive experience of cooperation with you. The psychology of negative online reviews does not aim at destroying your reputation or ruining your business (if this is not a fake review from your competitors), so when you offer a customer to contact you offline, it will show him/her and other people as well, that you are responsible and take seriously the concerns of your clients.

4. Solve the Issue

Now, when the client knows you are ready to admit your mistake, offer a solution. Of course, it may be costly, but what can be more expensive and worthy than your reputation and a possibility to get one more loyal client? Make great efforts and offer a compromise, which would satisfy you and the client. How to respond to negative reviews online? The best response is action.

5. Ask to Remove the Negative Comment

If you managed to come to the general agreement, and both sides are satisfied, you may ask the customer for a slight reward – to remove the negative feedback or supplement it with the additional note, which would clarify or refute the previous post. Both variants would positively contribute to the rate of your company and hint the visitors you care about your customers’ satisfaction and your reputation. When the problem is solved, people simply forget about the situation and their negative comments and do not think they will continue spoiling the general image of your company/products/service. Asking for additional notes on your website or other web platforms, where people share their experiences of working with different companies is also a good way of how to get online reviews.

6. Learn from the Situation

Any case is an experience, and negative comments have the great practical value of how to improve the service and become a trusted company with a solid name and perfect reputation. Everyone does mistakes, and when your customers show you what and where you did wrong, take a minute to think about it. Objective and constructive critics are not pleasant, but it may contain a lot of insights on how to improve and manage your business. These are actually free commercial ideas even without professional digital marketing services, which you should be wise enough to notice and implement into your daily practice.

Final Word

The ability to handle negative online reviews professionally is crucial for any business owner. It is impossible to avoid them completely, but you always can try to do your best and provide top-quality products and services. People will definitely estimate and reward your efforts, and the few negative comments would not harm your reputation. Moreover, the total rate of 5 stars looks suspicious. With such a business policy, you would not have to think about how to ask customers for online reviews.

IntlTech company offers professional digital marketing services and can help you to build a competent strategy and positive reputation. Have any questions: list of services, marketing services cost, timely frames, business analytics, etc. – contact our manager by the phone number (800) 966-4164 or email us at info@intltech.com.