The Complete Guide to Handling a Negative Online Review

93% of people say online reviews impact their buying decisions.

Review Sites

We all know how easy it is to find a review for just about anything these days. There are over 170 review sites for doctors, lawyers, dentists, realestate agents, financial advisors, stores, restaurants to hotels, there’s a review site for almost every business.

There are two main types of online review sites: those managed by the business itself your website, social media pages and those managed by independent parties like, Yelp, Trustpilot, Trip Advisor, Better Business Bureau. Some review sites are general, while others focus on industry-specific niches like Lawyers.com, ZocDoc, Cars.com Dentists.com Zillow

What’s a negative review?

A negative review comprises two parts: 1) A statement that says what they considered to be wrong with the product or service and 2) A rating of 1-5 stars given by the reviewer. For example, ‘I was not happy with the service I received and would not return ***.

What to Do When Your Business Gets a Negative Review on Social Media or an Online Review Site

How to handle a negative online review is something that every business owner worries about.

The negative review on social media or an online review site can be very damaging to the reputation of a business. It can create a poor impression among potential customers, hurt the brand image & scare clients away.

The first step is to fact check the review to make sure it correctly relates to your business. Often people mistake business names, locations and leave negative reviews that unfairly tarnish the innocent business.

If you do a find a review not meant for your business, you can reply to the reviewer, correcting them and asking them to remove the review.

At the same time, you can flag the review and request the platform which it appears on and ask to have it deleted.

What are fake reviews?

There are sites that allow customers to leave reviews without having to register an account on the site first. This is called “anonymous” reviewing, and it allows anyone with internet access to leave their opinion on any company they want without revealing their identity.

Some companies game the system by “review-bombing” their competitors, creating fake accounts and posting bad reviews, causing damage to the company’s reputation and directing traffic away from their site..

Data from major e-commerce sites and reports from other review sites state that, on average, 4% reviews online are fake.

The most obvious way is by seeing if there are many grammatical errors or typos in the review. If it has too many of them, then it might be suspicious, as often these reviews are written by overseas individuals where English is not their first language.

If you come across a review that is suspicious, and you believe may be a fake review left by your competition, disgruntled ex-employee etc., flag the review on the platform

The review sites have zero tolerance for spam, fake reviews, or any other unethical behavior that goes against their terms of service and will delete the review.

If the negative review does correctly apply to your business, the best way to handle it is to remain 100% professional, not engage in an argument, and respond quickly to the customer’s concern

If there is indeed an issue, it is important to address the person’s concern and resolve the issue they have. The best course of action is to apologize and then offer a solution. If it’s a complex or sensitive issue, it’s often best to express concern, the wish to resolve the issue and invite the writer to contact you through email.

It’s important to remember that many potential customers will see how you handled the person’s issue and make their decision to do business with your company or not based on that impression.

If the customer is satisfied, they may retract their negative review.

What NOT TO Do When Someone Leaves You a Poor Online Review

Handling negative reviews is an art that not everyone’s good at. Some people tend to ignore them while others go all out and start a war. So, what is the best way to do it?

Don’t get into a fight with the reviewer - it doesn’t help and only makes things worse. Don’t get mad at them or try to tell them they’re wrong. It’s bad for your business and it doesn’t change the fact that they’re unhappy with their purchase from you. Don’t be rude or dismissive in your response, this will just make them resent you even more and may even encourage them to leave another review in retaliation.

Instead, thank the customer for reaching out to give feedback and treat each complaint as an opportunity to improve your business

Conclusion

Take Control Over Your Online Presence and Up Your Customer Service Game

Online presence is a major factor in today’s business world. It is now a requirement for any company to have a strong online presence. It provides a direct way for established clients and potential ones to communicate with the company and has become a vital part of customer service.

Reviews are your best advertising. The more positive reviews you have, the more credibility your company will have with potential customers and the more likely they are to ignore negative posts.

Take every opportunity to ask your customer to leave a review. Add a review request to all your email signatures, social media platforms, etc.

Managing online reviews can be a challenge and time-consuming. Collective Alliance’s Review Management & Monitoring System listens for mentions of your company 24/7. Our service offers instant notifications when your company receives a review. You’ll know in real-time when positive , negative, or false reviews are posted about your business. We can then respond and act quickly to protect your online reputation.