How To Respond To Negative Reviews?
Online customer reviews can be the best way to determine how your customers feel about your brand, business, products, and services. The question here is, “How should you respond to reviews?” It is pretty easy to simply write a “Thank You” message for all your positive reviews, but responding to negative reviews can get tricky at times.
In this regard, please note that customers trust a company that responds to reviews 1.7 times more than companies that don’t. And around 84% of people trust reviews in the same way they trust personal recommendations. Responding to reviews not only helps build trust but also shows your customers that you care. Read on to explore multiple ways to respond to negative reviews in a way that helps your brand grow in the long run.
Why Should You Respond to Negative Reviews?
Negative reviews can have a serious impact on your business. Your sales can decrease by 70% if you get four or more negative reviews on a product. And businesses with a low consumer rating (1–1.5) may generate 33% less revenue. Such consequences can frustrate any business that receives negative reviews.
Given below are some reasons why you must consider responding to negative reviews:
- Responding to negative reviews depicts how professional you are and shows your human side;
- Customers feel comfortable when they know someone is listening to them;
- Empathizing with the consumer gives them the confidence that you care about their experience;
- Responding to negative reviews assures them that you are taking steps to rectify the situation and prevent it from happening again;
- It helps you in enhancing your website’s SEO and SERP rankings;
- It helps in building your brand reputation. So, think twice before ignoring those negative reviews.
Practical Tips on Replying to Negative Reviews
Given below are some tips that you can follow to respond to negative reviews.
Respond Timely
Don’t wait for days to respond to a negative review. It should be instant; else, it sounds scripted and fake. Your audience will appreciate an instant response from your end.
Acknowledge the Issue
Customers love it when they know they are heard. You must acknowledge their concern and let them know that you understand what their issue is.
Apologize
Start with an apology to appease your unsatisfied audience. It shows your professionalism and high level of customer service.
Empathise
Always put yourself in their situation and empathize with them genuinely, just not for the sake of it. Tell them you understand how frustrating an experience it can be for anyone facing such a situation.
Offer to Take the Matter Offline
Offer to connect over an email, a phone call, or a personal meeting to resolve the matter. It will make them feel important and enhance your credibility in the market.
Compensate
If the issue is genuine, and there is not much you can do to repair the situation, offer compensation – a deal, discount, or lucrative offer that can make the customer happy. Converting a negative review into a positive one is the best thing a business can do.
Stay Professional
Stay courteous and maintain your professionalism. No matter how ingenuine the review is, never take out your anger or lash out at the consumer. Personalize the response, don’t take the review personally, and always thank the customer for their feedback.
Analyze and Take Corrective Measures
According to Harvard Business Review, good or bad reviews tend to increase a brand’s ratings. Your reviews affect the decisions of 88% of customers, so take corrective actions and convey the same in your response.
Conclusion
No business is perfect, and negative reviews should help you work on your business and engage with your audience. If you are on the lookout for practical ways to handle negative reviews, get in touch with the experts at SocialJack Media– we offer top-notch content marketing services. They can help you with personalized recommendations on negative reviews and several other content-related suggestions. Contact us today for more insights on the same!
