How do you respond when you’re notified that a legitimate negative review has been posted about your business?
Whether the review was posted on Yelp, Google+, Facebook or an industry-specific site, experts agree that responding quickly shows that you’re listening to your customers, you care about their feedback and that you have nothing to hide! Keep in mind that even though you’re responding to a specific reviewer, the tone and content of your response should also be geared toward all prospects– don’t forget that they’re listening, too!
Mambo Media has built a “negative review” formula to simplify the response process and to make it easier to respond quickly without becoming emotional or defensive:
PERSONAL TOUCH
Customers may be annoyed if your response appears to have been copied and pasted from previous responses. Find something personal in their comment that you can include to make a one-on-one and more meaningful connection.
BLAMELESS APOLOGY
For legal reasons, you may not be able to take responsibility for errors that have been made. However, a sincere, blameless “I’m sorry that you didn’t have a good experience” can go a long way toward cooling off an emotional reviewer and anyone else who might want to join in on the negativity.
• “I’m sorry that you are dissatisfied with the service you received last night”
• “I apologize that you had to wait so long”
• Remember: Never blame the reviewer for their experience!
HOW TO CONTACT US
Drive the conversation offline by giving a name and email address or phone number where they can reach someone who has the knowledge and ability to make things right.
HOW WE WILL HELP
• Explain what is changing – are you building a new bathroom or changing your inventory? Simply communicating that you have a new process in place shows that you’re open to making improvements.
• Encourage them to come back and give you another try, with or without a gift certificate or discount
• Offer to listen and learn from their story so that you can take steps to stop it from happening again
• Show other prospects that when something goes wrong, your business will take care of it
THANKS + PERSONAL SIGNATURE
• Thank them for using your business
• Thank them for their feedback, and for allowing you to address the situation
• Sign it with a real person’s name or initials
AFTER THE REVIEW:
• Keep a spreadsheet of comments as you respond to them so you can spot trends
• If your reviews make suggestions, thoughtfully consider their viability
• Take the conversation offline
• Know when to stop the engagement
Don’t fear your negative reviews! Use Mambo Media’s formula to turn a negative review into a positive interaction. Negative or positive feedback is an opportunity to learn, engage with your customers and enhance your services or offerings.
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