The crappy online review. It happens. To all of us.
Sometimes warranted (rarely) but always a concern, poor business reviews online can really hurt your business. We’ve all been there. On Yelp, Yahoo, Reddit, Twitter or any number of sites or apps there’s a pit you might get in your stomach when you read negative comments about your product, service or business.
You might ask yourself “how should I handle this?” Here are two common options:
1) Get angry and get right back in their face.
2) Ignore it altogether – who gives a damn.
Well, while I can appreciate both options they are both wrong. Dead wrong. You have to remain calm and you have to respond. Sit back and see an upset patron, even the most obnoxious and ridiculous one, as an opportunity. This is your chance to turn the table and make yourself shine and help maintain your good reputation. If you’re a jerk, you dig the hole deeper. If you are silent you live in the grave they dug for you.
Here’s 4 common mistakes provided by Jay Shek, CEO of Locality, a website that helps consumers compare prices, hours, and reviews on all of their favorite local services (like haircuts, massages, and oil changes).
MISTAKE 1: POSTING FAKE POSITIVE REVIEWS. Local neighborhood guides often have red flags in place to find out when a business owner posts fake reviews. Don’t run the risk of being publicly shamed. It’s not worth it.
MISTAKE 2: OVERREACTING. Negative responses, finger-pointing, and customer-blaming is a quick way to turn a bad online conversation into really bad buzz that hurts your bottom line. Instead, be constructive and find a solution.
MISTAKE 3: BEING TOO PASSIVE. Ask your loyal followers to review you online. Target red flags in customer service and nip them in the bud before they find their way to a review.
MISTAKE 4: KEEPING THE CONVERSATION ONLINE. Don’t get stuck online — move the conversation offline. Contact the customer behind the negative review, hear them out, and offer a positive solution.
All good suggestions and #4 is especially important. Acknowledge the issue online but work it out offline and use this as an opportunity to win over a disgruntled customer for the long term. If they are happy and satisfied, ask them to follow up on their post too.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas too including any real life examples! – Mike Wolpert
Mike Wolpert, Social Jumpstart
