It happened. Your business got the dreaded “1 star” from an upset customer. All your good work and service – is it all down the drain? Now what? What is your process for dealing with bad reviews online?
You Have to Respond
The bottom line is that you have to respond. Regardless of what happened, you have to answer the charge. By not responding, you show potential prospects that you either don’t care, you’re not paying attention, or both. That’s a quick recipe for going out of business!
Analyze and Respond to What Happened
Was the customer right? Did you not follow through on a product or service? Be honest with yourself and your entire business process. And if you’re at fault, take steps to remedy the fault so that it won’t happen again. Then draft a response to your customer whereby you recognize the fault, give an explanation of the reasons why it happened, and then apologize for the poor service.
On the other hand, if the customer was plainly out of line, kindly explain that your business doesn’t provide the product or service in question. Explain that you’re sorry for the misunderstanding and offer them another solution to solve their problem (insert your own joke here). But seriously, be courteous, be respectful, but hold your ground.
If you have a reasoned and thoughtful response to a bad review, potential prospects will respect, and possibly admire, that you took the time to listen, address and offer solutions for a poor customer experience.
Check Your Reviews Regularly
Stay on top of your reviews! Get in the habit to check them daily if you have time, but check them at least weekly. A good procedure to follow is to search your reviews as prospects would – just type Your Business Name reviews in the Google search box and hit enter. And don’t be afraid to respond to good reviews; it shows that you’re paying attention and recognizing the people who respond. Christian Shockley of Shockley Electric sets a great example for responding to customer reviews. Follow his example.