Every brand works to have the best position on Google at the first pages, according to the SEO strategies. The social media platforms are the best tools to share content, engage and increase sales. The perfect place to build relationships with the customers and also where they can complain about services, which is not the good thing at all. What to do when someone leaves a negative review? How to respond to negative reviews about your brand?
Connecting with clients is a way to show the sensible human side of the brand and establish trust and loyalty. The funniest thing starts with negatives reviews which can affect a lot of brands. Especially because they are trying to fit in a market to get more customers.
There are some important things to understand that can help rethink our thinking about bad reviews:
- Bad reviews do not mean you are bad: the first rule to deal with negative reviews is not to take them personally. That’s because as your business grows, you’ll see more and more of them.
- Your business may not be a good fit for: the customer (and that’s a good thing). Your business is not suitable for everyone. And that’s a great thing because you can not be great for everyone. To be the best solution for someone, your product must be the wrong solution for someone else. Often, a bad evaluation clearly comes from a client who discovers that your product is not right for them. And that’s fine.
- The client could be having a bad day: we all have bad days. And in those days, we are much more likely to attack others. Many specialists suggest that one of the most common ways which stress manifests is displaced anger. In our bad days, we’ve probably all been such bad customers. I know I have. In any situation where you feel attacked or offended, it is useful to step back and put yourself in your client’s shoes. Most of the time, his behavior has nothing to do with you.
- The client could be a fool: Some people, very, very few, are frankly unconscious. These are the customers who:
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- Make personal attacks on people, no problems. This may include attacks on your support team, your customers or potential clients.
- They are likely to nonconstructive comments, including the excessive use of inappropriate language.
- Have spiteful grudges.
What could a negative review be considered?
- Experienced low-quality product/ service. A customer has all the right to express when something didn’t come out well. Of course, this could totally affect the brand.
- Had a negative brand experience. Something happened during the purchase.
- Lack of information. As a brand, you have to make every step in the process clear. So guarantee a good experience for the customer.
Positive reviews impact local SEO rankings because the review has become the most effective, the trusted method for consumers to check out before purchase. When someone is interested in any of the services, the first thing they do automatically check online what have been customer’s experience.
How handle a negative comment?
- Admit the problem. Speak directly to the customer through private messages to improve the situation and find out a solution. In this case, the customer can change the review to a positive one.
- Apologize for their experience. Recognize there is a problem will make the customer feels the brand cares about and they want to do their best to fix it.
- Offer to make things right. Acting like you don’t mind will not improve anything. Instead, offer help from the beginning and make them realize you are
- Address it with passive honesty. Show real intentions and customers will appreciate it.
- Respond quickly. Don’t take too much time thinking what to say or hoping the customers will forget. That only can make it worst.
- Share opinions with employees. People in the company can use bad reviews and good reviews to develop their business. Not only does it help avoid similar problems, but it creates a customer-centered mindset among employees. Show your employees that you are not afraid of comments, good or bad.
- Humanize your brand. Like humans getting wrong, brands do the same. It is important to accept criticism and take it in a positive way.
The effect of negative reviews can be great for brands. It could improve the way customers see your products and services. People figure a negative review as an, unfortunately, experience on that moment and how the brand react to it.
“Answering negative reviews builds [consumer] confidence in your business and your brand,” said Phil Penton, CEO of Xcite Advertising. “When you answer a negative review and address the upset customer, you are also speaking to the hundreds of other consumers that want to know how you conduct your business. Consumers understand that mistakes happen, so when they see a business trying to do the right thing, it builds trust.”
The worst thing a brand can do is to ignore the comments or delete them if people see you are not doing anything to improve, the negative review will start to be a problem.
Certain conditions apply when you want to leave a review on Google. It is hard to talk with a frustrated client but it is important to keep the mind in a nice way. Mistakes happen all the time, customers get upset and complain. It’s your choice to take the negative reviews as an opportunity to prove how honest and respectful your company is.
