The world lives online. So when you get negative online reviews, they’re sure to be seen by potential customers. True, it’s not possible to please everyone all the time, so negative reviews are bound to happen. But that doesn’t mean they need to take a toll on your business.
Five ways to respond to negative online reviews
You can take steps to reverse the public’s opinion of your company with some damage control. Just follow these tips from one of the top temp Agencies in Atlanta GA—Snelling Georgia Group:
- Don’t let upset customers take “free shots.” Show you care about your customers’ experiences and always respond publicly to a negative review.
- Take the conversation offline. A response similar to this will usually do the trick: “Thank you, [name] for your inquiry/comment/question. We care about your experience with our company and want to help. Please send your contact information to [email address, Facebook Messenger, etc.] and a member of our team will contact you to talk more about this.” This way, if you’re dealing with an irate customer, you’ll be communicating in a more private forum.
- Communicate from the heart. It’s obvious when a company uses a “canned response.” Be sure yours indicates that an actual human read the negative comment, considered it, and responded accordingly.
- Build up good reviews. You can’t erase a negative review. But you can minimize its impact by diluting it with positive reviews. You can encourage customers to leave online reviews through Yelp or other sites by posting requests on your website, social media pages or in your marketing materials.
- Be honest with yourself. Sometimes, the public just wants to air grievances and will take them out on companies. But other times, you may have a problem with policies and procedures that needs swift and immediate attention. Take negative reviews seriously and consider if they’re alerting you to something that needs to change.
Don’t let it get you down
Negative reviews hurt, but they happen and it’s all in how you address the situation that counts. Devise a strategy for how your business will handle negative reviews, and stick to it.
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As your business grows, so will your need for new workers. And Snelling Georgia Group can help. We work with employers in the Atlanta area to understand your staffing needs and find employees who fit. To learn more, contact us today!
