How to Respond to Negative Reviews.

You’ve created an amazing product you’re really proud to sell. You start to get reviews and among them are some negative ones. Creating a response to negative reviews can feel daunting, and you’ll probably have mixed emotions. But there are a few things you need to consider before crafting a response.

While you may not feel like it, it’s important that you do respond to negative reviews. According to a 2022 survey by ReviewTrackers, 45% of consumers say that they are more likely to visit a business if it has responded to negative reviews. Responding to bad reviews will help maintain a good reputation and help attract and retain customers.

Read on to find out how to respond to negative reviews with Adobe Express.

How do negative reviews impact your business?

Negative reviews can impact a business in many ways – from damaging a reputation to affecting customers’ trust and, ultimately, the bottom line. Reacting quickly, efficiently and professionally to negative reviews can help minimise impact.

Below are details on the different ways your business might be impacted by negative reviews.

• Damaged reputation. If you receive negative comments, it can seriously affect the business’ reputation and trust. This can cause partners, suppliers and customers to remove themselves from association with the business.
• Loss of customers. Customers often judge a company based on its reviews. In fact, ReviewTrackers found that 94% of consumers avoid a business after seeing a bad review.
• Impact on employees. Negative reviews can have an effect on job satisfaction, especially if the review is about an employee’s work or performance.
• Risk of losing repeat custom. Even repeat customers can be deterred by negative reviews and they just simply won’t return again.

Why is it important to reply to negative reviews?

While you might not feel like it, you should respond to negative reviews. It gives you a chance to explain and resolve a situation. Below are some reasons why you should acknowledge negative reviews.

• Improves your reputation. By responding to reviews, it shows that you acknowledge the situation and will take steps to fix and prevent it happening again.
• Builds brand trust. Responding will also show there’s a person behind the brand and that if something does go wrong, you’ll rectify it.
• Helps attract and retain customers. Customers can see when a situation is resolved and decide whether or not to purchase/use your company. This can then lead to more positive reviews which can then attract more customers.
• Sets a good example. You can inspire other business owners to tackle their own negative reviews and become well-known in your industry for taking ownership of a negative situation.

How to respond to negative reviews.

There are some key marks you need to hit when responding to negative reviews – whether it’s over email, on your own platform, or on a more public review site, such as Google. Here are five steps to help you construct a response to negative reviews.

1. Say thank you.

Even if it’s a negative review, they’ve taken the time to leave feedback, and you should thank them for engaging with your business and flagging the issue. You could say something like: “Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and we’re sorry to hear that you’re unhappy with X.”

2. Address them directly.

Whether they use their full name or a username, try and address them with the details they have provided. It shows you’ve taken time to read their review and not just provided a blanket response.

3. Apologise.

Even if you feel like you haven’t done anything wrong, you should apologise and sympathise with the reviewer. This will make them feel seen and acknowledged. You should tailor each apology to the review to ensure that it’s authentic.

4. Take responsibility.

While you may not feel like you have to take responsibility, it’s always best to do this to be reputationally cautious. Of course, you should play it by ear depending on if they’re being rude. If it is a big mistake, posting publicly on social media can add clarification and show that you care about your customers.

5. Propose a solution.

You should then propose a solution. The solution could be a refund or exchange, but it’s important that you go all the way to make things right. Going that extra mile could mean they amend their review and discuss the positive customer service.

Examples of responses to negative reviews.

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Good to know.

How do you respond to fake negative reviews?

Even if you think the review is fake, you should respond professionally. Apologise and then mention how you can’t locate their order in the database. Then ask them to email you their details so you can direct the conversation away from the reviews section.

How do negative reviews affect sales?

Negative reviews affect sales due to damaging the brand’s reputation. If a potential customer sees negative reviews on a product, they are less likely to buy it compared to a product that has many positive reviews.

Why is being receptive to negative feedback important?

Responding to negative feedback can show customers you have acknowledged an issue, that you care and are willing to improve. This can reassure future customers that it won’t happen again.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our  pricing page for details and to compare plans.