The birth of the social web means consumers now have many weapons at their disposal to research their purchases and to complain if their purchase turns sour. But unlike a soldier caught in a withering crossfire, the last thing you should do is dive into a foxhole. Rather, engage with unhappy customers—cautiously—in order to preserve your reputation.
So how should you handle negative reviews when they appear on sites such as Yelp, YP, Citysearch, Google Places, and TripAdvisor? First, know when to respond. Second, know when not to respond. And finally, know how to respond.
Why Responding is Important
When sites such as Yelp first appeared, many business owners and professionals believed the best way to handle negative reviews was to ignore them. Reason: They feared they would come off sounding defensive. But that was then. Today, savvy business people know that engaging with their online critics is usually the right thing to do. Here’s why:
• It neutralizes complaints that can spread virally online.
• It neutralizes complaints that can spread virally online.
• It shows that you value customer feedback.
• It proves that you are unwilling to walk away from unhappy customers.
• It demonstrates that you are true a professional.
Recent research from The Retail Consumer Report confirms the wisdom of engagement. Commissioned by RightNow Technologies and conducted by Harris Interactive early in 2011, the study found that 68% of consumers who posted a negative online review received a response from the retailer involved. Of those 68%, 18% purchased again. What’s more, when companies responded, more than 30% of the time their customers either deleted their original negative review or posted a positive one.
Strategy #1: When to Respond
Responding makes sense in most cases. Here are four common scenarios:
• You’ve made a mistake. Here it’s simply good business to own up and make good.
• When the consumer is either innocently or maliciously misstating the truth. Many times consumers are unaware of—or forget—the terms of a sale and then complain because you failed to provide something. In such cases, diplomatically reminding them that their expectations are out of line is a useful tactic. And if they’re lying, it’s doubly important to set the record straight.
• When it’s apparent the customer is well connected. If you determine the person is a frequent poster on the site or might otherwise command an online “following,” then engaging with him or her is crucial. The last thing you want is for such a person to initiate a campaign against you.
• When the problem seems easily remedied. If the problem is relatively minor and you think the consumer will accept an apology and/or a discount or gift certificate for his trouble, then by all means respond.
Although engagement will be helpful in a majority of cases, it doesn’t always yield good results. Following are some instances where it’s better to muzzle your communications rather than reach out.
Strategy #2: When Not to Respond
• You’ve made a mistake. Here it’s simply good business to own up and make good.
• When the consumer is either innocently or maliciously misstating the truth. Many times consumers are unaware of—or forget—the terms of a sale and then complain because you failed to provide something. In such cases, diplomatically reminding them that their expectations are out of line is a useful tactic. And if they’re lying, it’s doubly important to set the record straight.
• When it’s apparent the customer is well connected. If you determine the person is a frequent poster on the site or might otherwise command an online “following,” then engaging with him or her is crucial. The last thing you want is for such a person to initiate a campaign against you.
• When the problem seems easily remedied. If the problem is relatively minor and you think the consumer will accept an apology and/or a discount or gift certificate for his trouble, then by all means respond.
Although engagement will be helpful in a majority of cases, it doesn’t always yield good results. Following are some instances where it’s better to muzzle your communications rather than reach out.
Strategy #2: When Not to Respond
Never respond when it’s apparent that doing so will make the situation worse. Be careful when:
• The reviewer has a track record of complaining. There’s very little you can do to satisfy chronic complainers. Check the person’s posting history to see if there’s a trail of negative reviews.
• The reviewer is an apparent troll. “Troll” is an Internet term for people who love to spark controversy. They make provocative statements for the sole purpose of getting a rise out of others. And when they take the bait, the troll keeps upping the ante rather than striving for compromise.
• You are furious at the reviewer. Never respond when you are so angry you can’t think rationally. The last thing you want to do is lash out at a customer. It might feel good in the short run, but in the long run it can damage your reputation. In such cases, delegate the task to someone with a cooler head.
Whether you decide to respond or not respond, remember that a timely response is mandatory. If you wait a week or two before getting involved, nothing you say or do is likely to have a positive impact.
• The reviewer has a track record of complaining. There’s very little you can do to satisfy chronic complainers. Check the person’s posting history to see if there’s a trail of negative reviews.
• The reviewer is an apparent troll. “Troll” is an Internet term for people who love to spark controversy. They make provocative statements for the sole purpose of getting a rise out of others. And when they take the bait, the troll keeps upping the ante rather than striving for compromise.
• You are furious at the reviewer. Never respond when you are so angry you can’t think rationally. The last thing you want to do is lash out at a customer. It might feel good in the short run, but in the long run it can damage your reputation. In such cases, delegate the task to someone with a cooler head.
Whether you decide to respond or not respond, remember that a timely response is mandatory. If you wait a week or two before getting involved, nothing you say or do is likely to have a positive impact.
Strategy #3: How to Respond
Once you determine that a response makes sense, follow these guidelines:
1. Always begin with an apology even if you feel you did nothing wrong. Tell the customer you’re sorry he or she is unhappy and that you’d like to rectify the situation.
2. Do your fact-finding. Try to determine what went wrong and why. Ask open-ended questions, then let the customer vent. At this point, the customer should do the lion’s share of the talking.
3. Offer a solution. If you know what went wrong, apologize again and offer to make things right. Tell the person how long the “fix” will take and provide a means of reaching you in the interim.
4. Express your gratitude for the person’s business. Even though a problem occurred, make sure the person knows you are thankful for his or her patronage.
5. Promise to do better in the future. Since you are human, mistakes are a natural part of doing business. What’s unnatural is making the same mistake over and over again.
Perhaps our most important advice is this: Stay calm, hear what annoyed customers are saying, and take their criticism to heart. Viewed in this light, negative reviews aren’t weapons of online destruction . . . they’re wonderful opportunities to enhance your business.
1. Always begin with an apology even if you feel you did nothing wrong. Tell the customer you’re sorry he or she is unhappy and that you’d like to rectify the situation.
2. Do your fact-finding. Try to determine what went wrong and why. Ask open-ended questions, then let the customer vent. At this point, the customer should do the lion’s share of the talking.
3. Offer a solution. If you know what went wrong, apologize again and offer to make things right. Tell the person how long the “fix” will take and provide a means of reaching you in the interim.
4. Express your gratitude for the person’s business. Even though a problem occurred, make sure the person knows you are thankful for his or her patronage.
5. Promise to do better in the future. Since you are human, mistakes are a natural part of doing business. What’s unnatural is making the same mistake over and over again.
Perhaps our most important advice is this: Stay calm, hear what annoyed customers are saying, and take their criticism to heart. Viewed in this light, negative reviews aren’t weapons of online destruction . . . they’re wonderful opportunities to enhance your business.