Negative reviews happen to the best of us. Whether a customer has a bad day, one of your employees has a bad day, service is too slow, or any other extraneous factor, these are reasons that may cause your business to receive a negative review. Don’t fret – a negative review is not the end of the world.
In fact, many review sites display the review as an average, so the more reviews (hopefully four or five stars) your business accumulates, the less a one or two-star review will drag your overall star rating. Keep in mind that your negative reviews will still be on display, so it is important to try your best to respond to the unhappy customer and try your best to mitigate the situation or add clarity.
We want to make sure that you have the tools and resources to address these negative reviews respectfully and conductively. Here are a few tips you can use when addressing any negative (and even positive) reviews you receive:
- Respond in a timely manner. When you’re aware of a negative review, please address it as soon as possible. Set aside five to ten minutes to formulate a response that you’re happy with. You may have to do additional research on a specific service case that may require a bit more time.
- Always respond. It sounds easier to respond to positive reviews, but the negative reviews’ responses will likely be sought out by prospective customers. Your response will allow the prospect to gauge, given both perspectives, whether the circumstances of the negative review are valid enough to not choose your business. Both sides of the story are key to this process.
- Don’t be defensive. Being defensive can cause you to say things you don’t necessarily mean or may just reflect poorly on your business. Keep a level head and try to formulate your response with empathy and understanding.
- Offer a discount or refund for the inconvenience. Depending on the weight of the negative review, and if you feel that it was more on your business’ end, you could offer a discount or refund for the inconvenience. This is a sign of goodwill that speaks volumes to an unhappy customer.
- Take the conversation offline. Whether you direct them to email you personally or reach out to your customer support, this may be a good option for unhappy customers that need more follow-up. By showing this customer that you’re trying to fix the situation, they may be more willing to revise their previous review with a more positive one.
Here’s hoping you don’t get too many negative reviews in the near future, but it’s always good to be knowledgeable about how to respond appropriately. We hope these tips help you manage your tire shop’s online listings. Please contact Upright Tire if you want assistance in managing your reputation management.
