How to Handle Negative Reviews

Bad reviews will happen; it's just part of doing business and dealing with the public. How you deal with them can showcase to potential clients what they can expect in working with you.

Obviously, you want to collect as many 5-star reviews with raving testimony as you can. And if you're looking for information on how to generate good reviews, here are six strategies. But we're here to discuss how to handle the negative ones.

So, the best way to handle negative reviews on Google Business Listing is to respond promptly and professionally. Acknowledge the customer's concerns and apologize for any inconvenience they may have experienced. It's also important to address any specific problem raised in the review to show that you are taking the feedback seriously. The last thing you want to do is ignore the review. It won’t go away.

Here are six tips on what you should do to handle negative reviews.

1. Respond quickly: Responding to negative reviews promptly shows that you care about your customers and are actively working to resolve any issues.
2. Be professional: Keep your response polite and professional, especially if the review is overly negative. Avoid getting defensive or blaming the customer. Keep your cool.
3. Show empathy: Acknowledge the customer's feelings and show empathy. Let them know that you understand how they feel and that you are sorry for any inconvenience they may have experienced.
4. Address the specific concern: Make sure to address the particular concern raised in the review. This shows that you are taking the feedback seriously and working to improve your business.
5. Learn from it: Use the feedback from negative reviews to improve your business. Look for patterns in the complaints and make changes to prevent similar issues in the future.
6. Don't ignore negative reviews: Ignoring negative reviews is not a good idea. It will make you look like you don't care about customer feedback and will not solve the issue.

By following these tips, you can effectively handle negative reviews on your Google Business listing and show your customers that you value their feedback and are committed to providing excellent service.

Now, likely you're passionate about your business and taking care of your clients. That's good, don't let negative reviews get you worked up and respond in an attacking way. In fact, your goal should be to take the negative review and turn it into a positive for your business, especially if the negative review is baseless.

While this may sound challenging, it's essential to respond in a professional and measured way. Here are some tips for handling a baseless negative review.

Turn a negative review into a positive for your business:

1. Respond promptly and professionally: Don't ignore the review or respond in a defensive or unprofessional manner.
2. Show empathy: Don't blame the customer or dismiss their concerns. Acknowledge their feelings and apologize for any inconvenience they may have experienced.
3. Offer a solution: Don't leave the customer hanging or provide a generic response. Offer a specific solution to the problem and show that you have considered your response.
4. Learn from it: Don't ignore the feedback or make excuses. Look for patterns in the complaints and make changes to prevent similar issues in the future. While we strive to do a great job with each client, negative reviews allow us to reflect and self-check.
5. Use it as an opportunity to show your customers that you care about their satisfaction: Don't just say sorry. Provide a real solution and show your expertise by talking through the scenario without assigning blame to the reviewer.
6. Use it as an opportunity to improve your public image: If applicable, don't be secretive about how you’re handling the problem, address it openly and transparently, show that you are willing to improve and learn.
7. Use it to inform your business strategy: Don't ignore multiple reviews pointing out the same problem. It might be a sign of a systemic problem.
8. Follow up with the customer: Don't assume the problem is solved. Reach out to the customer and ask for feedback and if they would be willing to change their review.

By avoiding these mistakes, you can turn a negative review into a positive for your business by showing that you value customer feedback, are committed to providing excellent service and continuously improve your business.

While this article deals mostly with how to handle a negative review left on a public site, another great way to combat negative reviews is to flood your website and social media accounts with positive reviews. Written reviews only go so far. Consider investing in video reviews which provide a more interactive experience with site visitors and can really help grow your business.

Get started right now by signing up for a free Deploy Reviews account.