The numbers are in — 82% of American consumers consult reviews before they make a purchase. This only makes negative reviews even more daunting.
Unfortunately, negative reviews are an unavoidable part of doing business in today’s market. The internet and social media only make writing a negative review that much more easy. However, this also means that negative reviews are less reliable than the average consumer assumes.
Even though negative reviews are inherently negative, there is a positive way to deal with them. To find out how to do that, check out the tips below.
Don’t Hide Negative Reviews
Although negative reviews may seem to have an initial, negative impact on your business, hiding these reviews is even worse. Some consumers may notice, whether or not they were the original poster.
Additionally, hiding negative reviews may justify the reviewer’s initial feelings. It’s best to acknowledge as respond to them as soon as possible.
Give Them Positive Attention
Before you respond to the review, give yourself some time to think. Write your response and have a few other people look at it. Ultimately, your response should be polite and not defensive.
Even if the negative review is completely untrue, remember that the customer may believe everything they said. Perception is reality, and that is an important factor in doing business. Make sure to acknowledge that the way they feel is true and apologize.
Avoid Condescension
Even though the review is negative, you can still work the positive aspects of your business into your response. The key here is to avoid sounding condescending. It’s not a matter of who is right and who is wrong but influencing the negative perception of the buyer. It may help to read about the six types of buyer personas before crafting your response.
Remain Sincere
Make sure to avoid a copy and paste approach to your response. Unhappy customers want to feel like a company truly cares about their experience with the product or service.
Explain who you are and how you can help them. Give a negative reviewer more resources to improve their experience. Make the customer feel that they can easily contact someone who can provide them with a real solution.
Don’t forget to give the reviewer an avenue for private communication. If possible, reach out to them first. It shows sincere care.
Learn From It
Sometimes negative reviews have a kernel of truth to them. Use the review as an opportunity to reflect. Only you have the power to spin this negative experience into a positive one. You can even let the reviewer know how their feedback helps the company improve.
The Do’s of Doing Digital Business
Even before the digital days of doing business, negative reviews weren’t unavoidable. Complaints spread by word of mouth, which is even more difficult to respond to. With the right mindset, negative reviews may even give you an opportunity to improve your business.
For more help navigating your business online, don’t hesitate to contact us.