Five things to do when you get a bad online review

No matter how great you are at what you do, odds are that at some point your business will get a bad online review. Business and marketing strategist Katrina McCarter explains what to do about it.

The bad review might be accurate, or it might be false and have you wondering if it’s the malicious action of an old enemy or threatened competitor. Regardless, you’re probably going to hate it. And if it’s your first negative review, you may not know what to do about it.

Over the years I’ve formulated a five-step process to share with clients so they’re forewarned. More than that, so they know how to see a negative review as a positive.

But first, quickly, here’s why knowing how to handle a less than glowing review is so important.

It’s all because having a strong, positive brand reputation will future proof any business and brings benefits including strong customer retention and revenues, strong engagement with community and lots of trust, meaningful long term customer relationships, a high number of referrals and sales which are safeguarded in a crisis.

Think Singapore Airlines’ share price dropping only 1.3 per cent after its deadly May mid-air plunge. Its position as one of the world’s top brands combined with expert, visible crisis management gave it a buffer against negative global media.

Okay, here’s my five-step process about what to do with a bad online review.

Step one: Don’t panic!

 It’s when we panic that we see highly emotive, defensive business owners at their worst. It’s important to hold fast to the fact that research shows 95% of customers suspect reviews are censored or faked if they don’t see any negative ones. And 65% of customers trust reviews more when there’s a mix of negative and positive ones.

So if your business’ Facebook or Google review rating has everything from one star to five, it’s a good thing. A few poor reviews will make your other glowing reviews look more legitimate and help build trust. That will be used by prospective customers to assess you against others and progress them along the path to purchase.

Negative reviews also provide you with the opportunity to showcase your superior customer service, which brings us to step two.

Step two: Respond promptly and publicly

When you respond fast and openly to negative reviews, prospective customers can see you’re engaged and attentive. Remember, 70% of people who complain are just seeking a response. They want to be heard. And less than 40% actually get a response, so by getting back to them you’re ahead of most businesses.

When responding to a bad review, my tip is to keep it professional and avoid appearing defensive. Show empathy by acknowledging the customer’s experience was unpleasant and provide an apology. Thank them for sharing feedback and let them know you are reaching out offline to resolve the matter. Make sure all responses are prioritised by senior management.

Step three: Reach out privately to resolve

At this stage, I want you to understand that a poor review is a golden opportunity to win back a customer. 83% of customers feel more loyal to brands which respond and resolve their complaints. 70% of unhappy customers whose problem is resolved are willing to shop with the business again. It’s a big opportunity to shine.

On top of resolving the complaint, it’s important to find out the major reasons why people complain: unsatisfactory treatment, cost concerns, lack of compassion, poor communication, they’re generally cranky and want to be heard.

Step four: Flood with ‘friendlies’

Flood your Google search with friendly, positive, online reviews. 93 per cent of customers use reviews to determine if a local business is good or bad. 83 per cent of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations. Given potential customers place so much weight on them, it’s vital the one-star negative reviews are drowned out by lots of positive ones.

Every business owner should have an absolute minimum of five people they can approach at any time to write a positive, authentic online review for their business. Encourage your team to create a list of five people each they could approach if needed so you’re ready to enact the friendly flooding.

Step five: Review and reflect

I love this statistic: 78 per cent of consumers will transact with a business again after a mistake if they receive excellent customer service. This statistic alone should give you incentive to look to make improvements within your business.

To do this, analyse the complaint that was made. Was there validity to it? Could you have done things better? And the big question: if there was one thing you could change as a result of the complaint, what would it be?

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