We’re all bound to make mistakes somehow, and what scares businesses the most is the onslaught of negative reviews that will forever plague their social media accounts.
You might be worried that it may tarnish your online reputation — after all, big brands have been lambasted online, too, and it didn’t end well for them. You may have been figuring out how to bribe Facebook into removing your negative review, but instead of being scared of the big, bad negative review, why don’t you turn the tables around and turn it into a blessing in disguise?
Customer Support: The After Sales Superheroes
Any type of business, whether product-based or service-oriented, is bound to get reviews reflecting the kind of service that they offer to their customers. Don’t think that your local business wouldn’t get a review — according to Yelp, their users post 26,380 reviews every minute.
We all want to have positive reviews for our business. Positive reviews reflect the efficiency of our business, of the team managing and pulling the strings of our business. A positive review means you made a customer happy with your service. However, seeing a poor rating in your account means that you might have made a mistake, or that you might be neglecting the quality of service you’re giving to your patrons. No business is perfect — that’s why we should welcome negative reviews with open arms.
Despite the irony of accepting bad reviews, it’s the best opportunity to showcase how much your customers matter to you. Dealing with a bad review can actually help your reputation. You might see a tirade of hate posts or shameful rants towards your business — take it as an opportunity to shine.
That’s why your customer service personnel are the unsung superheroes of your business. They take all the dirt flung to your name and make sure that everything is dealt with accordingly. Your customer service team takes care of the after-sales inquiries. They are the key component in turning fiascos into success. With the help of an efficient B2C customer service software solution, it will help improve your process in dealing with these reviews.
A Bad Review isn’t Bad at All
You will encounter different bad reviews every now and then. You’ll see one-star reviews without any note why they don’t appreciate you, and there are some irrelevant, very personal reviews that have nothing to do with your business. For example:
Looking at this one-star review of a restaurant can make you think that it may be closed since they cannot be contacted. On the other hand, this could have been handled differently if their customer service team were up to the task of responding to these negative reviews. Some consumers wouldn’t even consider this as a reason not to patronize the said restaurant — this review does not reflect the food, location, ambience, or service rendered by their staff.
It may be hard for you to take reviews like these, but customers can probably distinguish these kinds of reviews. Negative reviews are also beneficial for your business; 95% of consumers suspect censorship or faked reviews when they don’t see bad scores.
Negative reviews can be subjective in nature, but it shouldn’t discourage you to leave it alone. Understanding this concept will help you face these reviews and tackle them one by one.
Responding to Negative Reviews
Responding to bad reviews shouldn’t feel like playing Minesweeper. You don’t aimlessly respond on every bad review with apologies — consumers want an actionable response, not Band-Aid solutions.
Gather their usual complaints and from that point forward, create replies that can be edited to personalise your customer service reps responses. Remember, you should be open to more criticisms; do not get defensive. Maintain a friendly and casual tone.
Pull up your sleeves and let’s get this on! We’ll help you get on track on how to deal with these bad reviews:
Constant Vigilance. Always be on the lookout for bad reviews on your social media channels, on your own website, and even on external review websites. You can automatically configure your settings on your chosen social media managing software, so you can receive notifications whenever you have reviews to check out.
To reply or not to reply, that is the question. There are some cases wherein a response is called for or not. On the other hand, there are instances that it’s better to reply privately.
Just remember these two tips:
- Respond publicly if: you think your response can help other people to avoid the mishap or to prevent further misunderstanding. A helpful response can avert other problems down the road. On the other hand, if you think it’s just a case of misunderstanding, call their attention and casually explain the right message.
- Respond privately if: it’s a personal or complex situation that has to be dealt with internally. Some situations can go way out of hand, so the best action to take is to deal with it privately. Personal or complex problems cannot be handled immediately, and compensations vary from one problem to another.
Customers want you to step up and take action. Responding to their concern is just one thing. Doing something to resolve their problem is another step to finally settle things. If it’s something that cannot be resolved immediately, offer them another option that will appease their misery. JetBlue Airways has always been on the top of their game when it comes to interaction.
Take for example this scenario:
My View during all the flight (4hours). No movies, no TV. First complain to one of my favorite airline. @JetBlue :( pic.twitter.com/Cipl9Pjiy6
— Esaí Vélez (@EvpLares14) November 26, 2015
Passenger Esai Velez is complaining about a defunct TV on her flight. JetBlue Airways in just a minute; their conversation just took 7 minutes:
@EvpLares14 We always hate it when that happens. Send us a DM with your confirmation code to get you a credit for the non-working TV.
— JetBlue Airways (@JetBlue) November 26, 2015
Send a follow-up
Once you’re through, consider sending a follow-up message to check if the customer was satisfied with your solution. If not, consider pursuing further actions to resolve the problem.
Are You Afraid of Negative Reviews?
Businesses should accept that their online presence speaks a lot about their service. Now that 58% of costumers actively leave online reviews within the past few years, it’s imperative that businesses engage their customers online — to deal with these reviews and improve their customer’s satisfaction. Take negative reviews as an opportunity to showcase the human side of your business; continuously develop a strategy to deal with these reviews.
Dealing with negative reviews may improve your brand’s online presence, but it also helps in reeling in 95% of unhappy customers that previously left your business. It also improves your customer retention and overall brand loyalty. Continue resolving these bad reviews and you’ll see how your customers and followers will love you more and patronize your business in the long run.