How do you turn negative online reviews positive?
Did you know that 93% of consumers read online reviews before buying a product? Online reviews influence their purchasing decisions a great deal, which is why customer reviews are very important for your business.
But what do you do when you receive negative feedback? As a business owner, you always want to get positive reviews from our customers, but sometimes that’s not what happens. Don’t worry, it will be okay! Negative feedback may be difficult to hear, but overall it can help improve your brand. Here are our top 5 tips to turn negative online reviews positive.
All Ears
There are a lot of positive things that you can get from a negative comment, but first, you must make sure you understand exactly why that person had a bad experience. Was it the shipping, the product quality, the package, the communication between the brand and the customer? Listen to the complaint and figure out exactly what went wrong.
You vs. Business
It might be hard sometimes, but the negative comments are not about you as a person, but about someone’s experience with your business. Try to keep your emotions apart from your company when dealing with bad reviews. Make sure you are calm by the time you decide to respond to it. Remember, you are representing your brand and other people (potential customers) will see that.
Turn Off Defensive Mode
Don’t counterattack the person and end up ignoring what they are saying. Even if the comment sounds or is unfair, this attitude won’t help. Listen to them, put yourself in their shoes to be able to truly understand what is going on and how you can fix it.
Ask Questions
“Terrible product, wouldn’t recommend”. These kinds of comments are very common, but, unless you ask for more, that’s nothing you can do. First, reply to them and thank them for reviewing your product. Express your sincere apologies for their negative experience and then give them an opportunity to explain and offer more details about it. You can say “ please email me at XYZ, or direct message me with your contact info,” but make sure to give them opportunities to speak. 89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience.
Here’s an example:
Hi [ name ], thanks for bringing this matter to our attention.
I’d like to apologize on behalf of our team at [company]. We take our customers’ opinions very seriously and would like to learn more about your experience. Please [DM me, email me] at [contact] at your earliest convenience.
Evaluate the Comment
After you solve the problem, it is time to see if that comment was useful or not. Was it about something that you can improve upon?
Everyone makes mistakes, so don’t be sad about negative comments. Just make sure you know how to deal with them and remember, selling a product or a service is a two-way process, so keep the communication open for better results.
For more advice from Hilary JM Topper, president and CEO of HJMT Public Relations Inc., check out her interview with CBS New York on negative reviews.
Does your business need help increasing its presence online in a positive way? Contact us today to learn more!
