Getting sweaty palms over a bad review?
Well, you are not entirely wrong to be feeling that way!
According to Trust Pulse, 49% of consumers online believe in reviews left by other people just as much as they believe in personal recommendations shared by friends and family in real life.
In other words, a negative review can do a lot of damage.
But worry not!
You can reverse the damage if you know how to respond to a negative review.
That’s right!
Keep reading to find out more:
How to Respond to a Negative Review?
Here are the basics of responding to reviews you don’t like:
Firstly: Don't Take it Personal
We understand that a bad review can feel like a personal attack. However, it is not. Keep in mind that your clients do not know you personally; therefore, the bad review is not about you.
Use a negative review to show your customers how kind you are and reply with empathy.
Don’t Use One-Size-Fits-All Replies
When faced with a bad review, do not be quick to reply with a ready-to-use answer you have saved in your drafts. It is important to demonstrate understanding. Therefore, take your time to come up with a response.
Avoid quick responses, write a customized reply that focuses on the problem raised by the customer, be kind, and don't forget to thank the client for raising the issue.
Respond Timely
Do not make your clients wait.
The more they have to wait for you to respond, the more their grievances will grow.
And trust us, you do not want that!
When you get a bad review, try to reply to it within a day of receiving it. It shows people how serious you are when it comes to your brand's reputation as well as customer loyalty.
Try to Reach a Private Mediation With the Client
When you are trying to appease an angry client, nothing works better than a private discussion with them. Discussing the issue with them privately also gives you a chance to offer them an explanation and come to a solution they agree with.
Instead of prying them for their contact details or calling them on social media, use a reliable meeting scheduling software like Calday and set a meeting with them to solve the issue and replace the negative review with a kind one.
Templates to Use When You Have Hit a Creative Block
What to write when responding to issues raised by clients?
We got you!
Use the following templates (you can customize them a bit based on your niche and the client):
Responding to a Bad Review: Asking for Another Chance
Keep in mind that clients run a business, and we cannot lose our clients. So, when you get a client who writes an extremely detailed bad review highlighting the things that went wrong, it is better not to get defensive.
Instead of doing that, you should ask for another chance and offer to provide them with the service for free. This will not only retain the client but also help you build trust:
We take our customers' concerns very seriously and have addressed [mention the issue raised by the client in the review] to make sure it does not happen again. Your reviews are invaluable in helping us improve our services, and we genuinely appreciate your input.
We would love the opportunity to make things right with you. Please contact us directly at [add your contact information] so we can discuss how we can redeem ourselves. In addition to that, we would like to offer you a complete refund as well as [add the name of the service/product the client availed] for free.
We hope to welcome you back soon and provide the exceptional experience you deserve.
Warm regards,
Responding to a Bad Review: Owning up to the Mistake
Owning up to your mistakes as a gesture of goodwill and trust-building does not just apply to personal experiences. It also plays an instrumental role in professional endeavors, especially if you are running a business where a bad review can end up being catastrophic for your brand image.
Some people are not looking for a refund or a discount. They just want you to own up to your mistake. If you get a client like that, reply with the following:
Our team takes full responsibility for the issues you encountered when working with us. We understand how frustrating this must have been for you. [Mention the issue the client raised in their review] is not in line with our company's high standards.
Please be assured that we are taking immediate steps to address this problem. [Share the steps you are taking to address the issue and prevent it from recurring]. Your experience has highlighted areas for improvement for us and we are making the necessary changes.
We are committed to resolving this matter. Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience. We are hoping to restore your trust in us.
Thank you,
Responding to a Bad Review: Offering a Discount
Nothing works better than a discount when it comes to calming an angry customer down. So, if you get a client that is way too cross with you, offer them a small discount with the following answer:
We acknowledge the issues you faced with us [mention the mistake or problem the client wrote about] and understand your frustration. This does not reflect the quality and high-quality standards our business stands for, and we apologize for the oversight.
As a gesture of our commitment to making things right with you, we would like to offer you a [add the discount you wish to offer, for example, 20%] on your next purchase with us. You can redeem this discount by using the code [add the code here] at checkout. We hope this can help show you our dedication to your satisfaction.
Please feel free to reach out to our customer support team at [add your support team's contact information] so we can address any additional concerns you may have. Our team is available 24/7 to assist you and make sure you have a better experience with us in the future.
We look forward to serving you better in the future.
Responding to a Bad Review: Answering for Unprofessional Behavior
Sometimes, a review isn’t about a service or a product. Instead, the customer wants to highlight the unprofessional behavior they faced when working with you.
Now, just because the service or product you delivered was impeccable does not mean you shouldn’t respond to such reviews. A review about unprofessional behavior can be just as damaging, so respond with the following:
We take full responsibility for this incident. We, at [mention your business's name] are committed to providing not only quality products/services but also exceptional customer service, and it is clear we fell short in this instance.
Please rest assured that we are addressing this matter internally. We are working on providing additional training as well as taking action against the team member to make sure such incidents do not happen again. Your experience has highlighted an important area for improvement for our business, and we are taking immediate steps to address it.
Once again, we apologize for the behavior you experienced when working with us. We appreciate your understanding and feedback. We hope to serve you better in the future.
Thank you.
Responding to Negative Reviews: Brands and Businesses Doing It Right
When it comes to dealing with negative reviews, we all can learn a thing or two from the following:
- Stamford Plaza Brisbane: Here is a reply by Stamford Plaza Brisbane that perfectly thanks the customer for the positive part of the review and also addresses the negative aspect of it:
- Forest Grove Veterinary Clinic: Sometimes, you have to go into detail to appease a dissatisfied customer and offer them an explanation for having a bad experience with you. This is an amazing example of how to do it:
- Revive Services: There can’t be a more perfect example of owning up to a mistake, offering a discount as an apology, and letting the customer know that you are doing your best to reach out to them, all in one response than this reply by Revive Services:
- RBC: While we have talked about responding to reviews via emails and Google reviews, let’s not forget about social media reviews. Here’s RBC showing everyone how it is done:
- Starbucks: Last but not least, let’s take a look at Starbucks' reply to a negative review. The fact that they asked the customer for the full address of the location they visited shows that they will take action against the specific outlet, thus building customer trust.
Conclusion
Properly replying to negative reviews and turning angry customers into happy ones is important for any brand's reputation and customer loyalty. It is equally important to understand that your brand's reputation does not solely rely on what your clients write about you. It is also shaped by how you respond to them. By replying to them in a timely manner and offering them the right solutions, you can show potential customers how you deal with dissatisfied customers.
Use the above templates and learn from the examples to come up with perfect responses.