What You Can Do About Online Business Reviews
Let’s
try an experiment…
Imagine
that you’re browsing around on Yelp and come across Jack’s Burger Shack with
the following two reviews:
“We ordered 4 burgers. When we brought them
home - 2 out of 4 had HAIRS!!!”
“Excellent burger at a great price. Will be
back again for sure!!!”
Now
imagine that it’s a month later and you’ve got a craving for a burger - which
review about Jack’s Shack are you going to remember?
That’s
right, the negative one.
Bad reviews are hard to shake off and what’s worse, they’re the ones that stick
with your business and affect your reputation. At the same time, there are
things you can do to mitigate those negative reviews and maintain a good
reputation online.
Respond… and Do It Quickly!
When
you do get a negative review, one of the most important things you can do is
respond.
However,
how you respond is critical, and responding the right way can turn a bad review
into a good opportunity. Consider this response to the bad review from above:
“Hi, this is Dan, the general manager. We’re
extremely sorry for your negative experience at Jack’s Burger Shack last night
and I want to make it right. Next time you want a burger, come in and ask for
me. I’ll personally make sure we show you the exceptional food and service
we’re known for.”
A few
things to note about this response:
●
It gives the business a personal face - Dan
●
It’s posted the next day
●
It does NOT question the diner’s negative experience
●
It provides a solution to gain business from the client
again
●
It lets FUTURE
CUSTOMERS know they’ll be taken care of
And
that last one is truly worth its weight in gold.
Ask Your Customers for Good Reviews
In
the same manner that you remember negative reviews more than positive ones,
it’s harder to GET positive reviews as well.
But
positive reviews do something special - they
drown out the noise that negative reviews create. If a business has 100
reviews and only 1 is negative, your thought is that it’s an isolated incident.
On the other hand, 1 out of 5 being negative gives you more cause for concern.
Don’t
be afraid to ask customers who have positive experiences to leave reviews -
they are extremely valuable.
Make Sure Service is NOT the Issue
One
thing to keep in mind about potential customers reading reviews is that they’re
as much evaluating your BUSINESS as they are your PRODUCT.
Even the best product gets bad reviews from
time to time -
that’s outside your control. But what’s inside your control is the service each
person receives when they come into contact with your company.
A bad
review that doesn’t like your product, but at least praises your customer
service goes a long way. It lets other potential clients know that you’re a
good company to do business with and positively influences their decision to
buy from you.
If
you are receiving bad reviews about your service, then it’s time to nip them in
the bud by addressing the issues with the relevant parties. Remember this…
