How Should You Handle A Negative Review?

Unlike Google and Yelp reviews, Facebook reviews are impossible to remove. The review may stay on your Facebook page forever, potentially impacting your overall star rating. It may be disappointing, but there is still an opportunity to turn the situation into a positive one and have the customer reconsider.

Unfortunately, we have all seen those cringeworthy moments when a frustrated employee or business owner lashes out at a customer online for leaving a negative review. In this case, no one wins—especially not the business, which now looks unprofessional and combative. Even if the customer misconstrues or exaggerates the perceived negative experience, businesses have the opportunity to change the customer’s mind.

Here are three easy ways how:

  1. First, acknowledge the review publicly. Start your response by thanking the customer for taking the time to share their feedback. Then ask the customer to privately message you with more details. This will help take the conversation “offline” so you can look into the situation further and get the customer’s contact information in case you want to offer them some kind of compensation.
  1. Once you have all the details, really listen to what the customer is saying. Read the complaint a few times and deconstruct each part of the review. Reach out to your employees and coworkers to get additional information about what happened.
  1. If your business made a mistake, own up to it. Let the customer know you are taking their feedback seriously and sharing it internally with the appropriate departments. Share the negative review with your staff or coworkers so you can prevent similar situations in the future. This is the perfect opportunity to reinforce your commitment to customer service and show customers you value their business and feedback.

When it’s all said and done, look for ways to improve experiences for future customers. Remember, hundreds of consumers evaluate and compare your business reviews with your competitors, and these reviews can absolutely impact your bottom line. This is why it’s more important than ever to understand the connection economy and how to create extraordinary customer experiences that help your brand stand out.