It is important for a business to respond to reviews on a business website and social media, good and the bad, but especially the bad! It’s necessary to build a strong business reputation.
It’s also very important to respond to any negative comments in as positive a way possible with the hope of a corrected resolution. There’s vital interest in how a business handles a bad review over gloating only about the rave ones.
Many of your best online referred customers are those who read the bad reviews and saw whether or not the business responded and then how they responded. In my opinion, the lack of a response to a bad review can be seen as validation of it. It is also very important to not procrastinate your response… waiting weeks or even months to submit a reply is nearly as bad as not responding at all.
Most businesses know it’s important to monitor and respond to reviews on their website and social media. But what about when those reviews are bad?
It can be tempting to ignore negative reviews, but that’s usually not the best course of action. Ignoring bad reviews can make potential customers think you don’t care about your customers’ experiences or that you’re not willing to take responsibility for your mistakes.
Of course, you don’t want to give trolls or unhappy customers more attention than they deserve. But a thoughtful, well-written response shows other potential customers that you take all feedback seriously and that you’re committed to providing a good experience for everyone.
So, in summary, If you have a bad review, don’t freak out. It’s not the end of the world. Take it as an opportunity to learn and improve your business. Respond accordingly, confidently, and in a timely manner. AND don’t be afraid to hire a professional to get the appropriate help your business deserves!
Feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions about responding to negative reviews or improving your business.
