Best Practices for Responding to Bad Company Reviews from Customers

Chances are, you consistently do everything in your power to give your company a professional image. Customers are your top priority, and you go above and beyond to make sure they’re always satisfied.

However, in any business, bad reviews can—and will—happen. Despite your best efforts, not everyone will always be completely content with what they receive from your business. Unfortunately, that can lead to a bad online review.

Whether 99% of your other reviews are positive, or you’ve dealt with negative reviews before, it never gets easier to stomach and can make you feel like you’re failing.

The good news? There are things you can do to respond to bad company reviews that may change that person’s mind. Even if it doesn’t, it shows other people looking at the reviews that you take pride in your company and care enough to make things right.

Respond Early, Respond Often

One of the most important things to remember as a business owner is that you should always respond to your reviews. That includes good ones, too! You may need to hire someone like a social media manager to respond for you, but no review should ever go unnoticed.

Responding to reviews lets your customers know that you’re listening, no matter what. That makes it easier to respond to the negative ones because it doesn’t just look like you’re trying to save face.

Make review correspondence a priority for you or someone within your business. In doing so, you’ll create a positive image for yourself online.

Don’t Use Generic Responses

People can easily tell when you’re using canned responses, especially if you’re replying to every review. This gets old for customers very quickly, and it makes it seem like you genuinely don’t care about what they have to say, whether it’s good or bad.

Instead, take the time to really absorb their feedback and tailor your response accordingly. This is especially true when you get a negative review. Customers who aren’t happy with their goods or services want to be heard, and they want to be taken seriously. Paying attention to what they have to say can change their opinion of your business.

Take the “Argument” Offline

First of all, you should absolutely never get in an “argument” with a customer via an online review site. Some negative reviews can start with an initial response online, but, if the customer wants to get into details, you should always try to speak with them offline, either in person or on the phone.

Not only is this a good practice for keeping your reviews from getting too heavy, but speaking personally to the customer will likely make them feel better about their whole experience.

Make Changes Where Necessary

Don’t assume that all negative reviews are out to destroy your company. Criticism isn’t always a bad thing, and it can truly help your business to grow if you’re willing to make positive changes.

Something as simple as improving your business’s “look” can make a difference in how customers perceive you. A great way to do that is with updated official uniforms. Uniform supply companies like Prudential Overall Supply can help you to find the ideal look your company is going for. Work uniforms are often the first thing customers notice when they come into your business. It’s little things like these changes that can end up making a big difference.

Of course, you should always take customer suggestions to heart, too, as long as they can help to improve your business and your customers’ experience.

Negative online reviews don’t have to tear your business down. When you know how to respond to them correctly and productively, they can end up being great marketing tools for your company.