Did you know that 91% of people read reviews before buying a product or service? What they see could make a world of difference.
While every business owner wants nothing but rave five-star reviews, the fact of the matter is, you’re going to get some unhappy customers sometimes. And those customers are often louder than your satisfied clients.
However, you can sometimes turn things around with a well-crafted response. Here are some tips on how to write the best negative review response and work toward winning your customer back.
Reiterate and Address the Problem
As this article on handling a bad response points out, taking responsibility for mistakes is a must. A defensive stance will only make the customer angrier and ramp up the tension.
To ease things a bit, start by addressing the customer by name. Then, offer a brief apology.
As you start drafting your response, make sure to include the specifics of the issue to show that you’re listening. A stock answer of “We’re sorry you’re unhappy” won’t have much impact compared to something like, “Hey John, we hear you and we’re sorry that shipping took so long.”
By addressing their concern directly, you’ll defuse the tension.
Bring up a Solution
Want to know what to do about a negative review? Fix it.
Really, it’s that easy.
More often than not, customers write negative reviews in hopes that the company will see the review and address the problem accordingly. It’s almost like a new form of customer service in a way.
As such, you’ll want to do everything in your power to fix the customer’s concern. Think of what you would want if you were in the customer’s shoes.
Take it Offline
You’re almost ready to post your response. But before you hit ‘send’, give the customer a way to get in touch with you so you can further discuss the problem.
Most problems, while fixable, don’t need to be in the public eye.
Bonus: When Not to Write a Negative Review Response
If you’ve come here looking for negative review advice, you’ve surely found yourself asking, “Do I even bother?”
In short, yes, you should respond nine times out of 10. The only exceptions being if a situation is beyond repair, or if a customer is spreading outright lies.
Dealing with the former is easy. Just shrug, roll your eyes, and move on. You can’t please everyone.
In the case of the latter, your safest bet is to contact the customer with any evidence you might have that they’re not telling the truth. If they don’t willingly remove the false review, contact the site where the review is hosted. As long as you can prove that what’s written is, indeed, false, you should be able to get it removed.
Don’t Make Mountains Out of Molehills: Responding to Negative Reviews
No one wants to see negative reviews. But now that you know how to construct the perfect negative review response, you’re better equipped to handle even the surliest of reviewers.
Remember, it’s all about building a bridge and winning them back. It’s so much easier to keep an old customer than it is to get a new one.
And if you’re interested in reading more, make sure to check out our blog!
