Customers who vent about unsatisfactory experiences want to feel heard.
If you uncover negative feedback about your product or service, do not ignore it and hope that it goes away.
Take action!
Responding appropriately can be the key to both rectifying the problem and avoiding future bad press.
1. Thank
…the reviewer for their feedback.
2. Acknowledge
…that you (the business) are in the wrong.
(If your goal is to delight every customer and you fell short of that, you have made a mistake – acknowledge that.)
3. Highlight
…any positive comments that the reviewer included in the post.
4. Apologize
…for any legitimate negative experience.
5. Explain
…how you will prevent the negative from recurring.
6. Invite
…the reviewer to contact you offline.
This advice works best for feedback/reviews that are reasonable and can be addresssed by the business owner or staff.
For feedback filled with hyperbole and vitriole, the best tactic might be to disregard the comment as musings from a troll.
However, no matter how off-base or unwarranted the comment,
please do not:
1. Respond with anger or sarcasm
2. Blather on endlessly like a corporate infomercial.
Responding in this way will further alienate the unsatisfied customer and turn off anyone else who is listening.
In short, be grateful, apologize, and invite more conversation; after-all, that is how you would respond if you were face-to-face.
Do You Know How to Respond to Negative Reviews?
Customers who vent about unsatisfactory experiences want to feel heard.
If you uncover negative feedback about your product or service, do not ignore it and hope that it goes away.
Take action!
Responding appropriately can be the key to both rectifying the problem and avoiding future bad press.
1. Thank
…the reviewer for their feedback.
2. Acknowledge
…that you (the business) are in the wrong.
(If your goal is to delight every customer and you fell short of that, you have made a mistake – acknowledge that.)
3. Highlight
…any positive comments that the reviewer included in the post.
4. Apologize
…for any legitimate negative experience.
5. Explain
…how you will prevent the negative from recurring.
6. Invite
…the reviewer to contact you offline.
This advice works best for feedback/reviews that are reasonable and can be addresssed by the business owner or staff.
For feedback filled with hyperbole and vitriole, the best tactic might be to disregard the comment as musings from a troll.
However, no matter how off-base or unwarranted the comment,
please do not:
1. Respond with anger or sarcasm
2. Blather on endlessly like a corporate infomercial.
Responding in this way will further alienate the unsatisfied customer and turn off anyone else who is listening.
In short, be grateful, apologize, and invite more conversation; after-all, that is how you would respond if you were face-to-face.