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.
