In the age of social networking, customer reviews have become a great selling tool for many businesses. But what happens when you encounter a negative review from an unhappy customer?
Yelp has been making the news lately for the way it handles negative reviews. It’s not a perfect system. But is it possible to spin a negative review into a positive one without the help of Yelp or Google?
Instead of worrying about the situation or feeling like you’re being held hostage by an unsatisfied customer, let’s talk about three things you can do when you receive a negative review.
Three Things You Can Do
We understand how great you are at what you do. We also understand that even the most talented business owners sometimes receive unfavorable reviews from unhappy people. Here are three things we suggest you do to remedy the situation.
Respond to each negative review promptly. If you are proactive, you communicate to all your customers that you are ready and willing to help. This goes a long way in building trust.
Keep it professional. It’s easy to get your feelings hurt when someone doesn’t like the work that you do. Make sure you treat everyone with courtesy and respect.
Take the issue offline. Go out of your way to add a personal touch when resolving the issue. Issuing refunds isn’t always the best course of action. Show your customers that you are a human being.
We’ve all read the horror stories of negative reviews that get out of hand. Some people feel that venting frustration online is anonymous and harmless. It isn’t. We all have bad days; the real trick is making sure that one negative review doesn’t collapse all your hard work.
Bouncing Back
At the end of the day, all you can do is do your best. The best way to make a name for yourself is to set yourself apart…in your work ethic, your customer service, and your design.
We hope you’ll visit our website for all your banner and display needs.
~Tony Johnson