Two of the best marketing tools are referrals and reviews. What an honor it is for a customer to be your company’s advocate! But it can also be detrimental to your company if a disgruntled customer voices their frustration about their experience. If this customer leaves a bad review online, it can be seen by millions of people and negatively affect your company. Let’s discuss three tips to overcome a bad review:
Check Your Records
First, you need to determine if the reviewer was a real client. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for competing companies or trolls to leave fake reviews! If you check your records and see that this person never bought one of your products or received your services, you can flag this review as fraudulent and have it removed. (Tip – make sure you respond to fraudulent reviews in case it takes an extended amount of time to have it removed.)
Respond Professionally & Quickly
We know it feels horrible when you read a bad review from a customer. However, there is a silver lining. You can respond to the review! This accomplishes two things:
- The dissatisfied customer may read your response, contact you to have the situation rectified, and change his bad review to a more positive one.
- Other customers will read your response and decide whom they will place their trust.
More than ever, it is extremely important to leave a professional response. If a customer took the time and effort to leave a bad review online, it’s vital to respond to that review tactfully. Instead of defending your company, you can create an open line of communication. For example, “Our company strives to create great customer experiences! We are so sorry this was not the case for you. Please call us so we can make it right.”
Make Necessary Changes
Unless the review was left by a troll or your competition, you must implement necessary changes. Was the bad review about how your product functions or how the customer was treated by a team member? Whatever the bad review entailed, it’s important to dive into the problem and find a solution so the problem doesn’t happen again. This will contribute to future success.
How M&R Marketing Can Help
If navigating through bad reviews feels overwhelming, we can help. Our team is passionate about helping your company maneuver through these reviews, garner great reviews, and find success! If you’re curious about our services, call us today: 478-621-4491. We look forward to hearing from you!