Every small business owner and marketer knows the agony that follows the receipt of a negative review on Google. We’ve talked about how to respond to online reviews on our blog before, which contains helpful information about how to respond to all reviews, including demonstrably false negative reviews. These sadly plague brands more often than they should and they are frustrating! Hell, we’re currently fighting a false one-star review from someone we’ve never worked with, let alone spoken to or met (we’re fairly certain it’s not a real person, as is often the case with these reviews). But what if your negative review is at least in part a valid complaint from a real client or customer? We see small business owners jump into defensive mode and fire back at these far too often. This is obviously a mistake as it tends to validate the complaint and do more damage than the review would have done if it had simply been left alone (which we also do not recommend). We share in the thinking of most experienced digital marketers who believe you can and should turn any valid negative review you receive into an opportunity for your brand. Here’s how:
Demonstrate 5-Star Service
Your initial reaction may be to defend yourself against a negative review, but that review is really just an opportunity for you to publicly demonstrate your best customer service to potential clients and customers. Think about it, when you’re researching a company as a potential customer, you read a mix of both positive and negative reviews. So when you respond, show readers that you take your customers’ concerns seriously and that you’re committed to resolving them. Everyone loves to say they have the best customer service, but this is your opportunity to demonstrate your brand’s commitment to providing it. Respond promptly and authentically, apologize for falling short of your customer’s expectations, commit to contacting them to fully resolve their concern, then follow through as you move the rest of the conversation offline. If you have the opportunity to do so, over-deliver on your resolution to really turn things around with your reviewer. Once resolved, ask the customer if they wouldn’t mind updating their review. Whether or not they update the review, your potential customers will take note of your prompt response and commitment to customer service, and you will be rewarded with future business.
Listen, Learn & Improve
Instead of viewing valid negative reviews as a nuisance, consider them valuable, free information you can use to improve your product, service and ultimately, customer experience. You could hire an expensive consultant to come in and help you identify opportunities for improvement and outline a plan of action, or you can simply listen to your customers. Look for patterns in your online reviews and use the information you glean to coach your team, optimize your offerings, and ensure you’re establishing the right expectations with your customers at the right touchpoints throughout their journey with your brand. Most of what we’re doing right and wrong as a business is already spelled out in our online reviews. When we listen, learn and respond thoughtfully with action, we’re able to grow, improve, and better shape our customers’ experience with our brand.
Foster a Positive, Customer-Centric Culture
All businesses, product/service offerings and team members will encounter criticism via a negative review at some point. Sometimes those criticisms will feel or might even be unfair. It’s easy to take these criticisms personally and react defensively or vindictively, but as business owners and marketing leaders, it’s our job to respond thoughtfully and set the tone for our teams. When we slow down and consistently use these reviews as learning opportunities to improve our customer experience, we’re setting a positive, customer-centric tone and leading by example. In the end, your customers’ experiences define your brand and negative reviews represent the perfect opportunity to foster a more positive, customer-centric culture internally and, in turn, create a more positive customer journey that will pay dividends over time.
At the end of the day, your brand isn’t your logo design or what you say about it. Your brand is ultimately defined by your customers’ experiences with it and what they say about it, so it’s critical to think of negative reviews as opportunities to strengthen that brand.
About the Author
Joe Sampson
As president and co-founder, Joe is responsible for the development, execution, and success of client and company initiatives. With >20 years of brand and leadership experience, nothing puts a smile on his face like helping clients outperform their goals.
Got questions? Good! Email joe@nueramarketing.com for answers.
