Striking Gold with Customer Reviews

I run a local events and news site, and I goofed up recently and incorrectly reported a piece of info about a business. Of course, the biz owner contacted me immediately and posted a scathing review on my Facebook page.

I immediately retracted the info, apologized to her profusely, and issued a public apology to the business and business owner owning the mistake. My doing this resulted in the business owner removing the bad review she had initially submitted on my Facebook page.

This week, having just experienced this, I thought it would be appropriate to cover 3 steps you need to follow if and when your business receives a bad public review.

Even the most well-intentioned business owners will end up with a subpar review. It may be due to an honest mistake. Other times, you may become the target of a customer that simply cannot be pleased.

In any case, handling your bad review with a thoughtful response is important. Not only does it give you the opportunity to turn a sour situation into a positive one, but it can also help you attract new customers.

Here are 3 steps to follow when responding to a bad review:

1. Start by validating the customer's experience.

Validating how someone feels is the first step to de-escalating a bad situation. It shows that you care enough to understand how they're feeling, and it will bring their guard down, giving you the opportunity to work towards a resolution.

If the complaint was about a mistake on your part, start by apologizing and acknowledging their frustrations.

For example, "I want to apologize for having prepared your meal incorrectly. I can understand how disappointing it was to receive your meal without the extra toppings you asked for!"

In the event their complaint is not your fault, you shouldn't apologize. However, you should still try to validate how they're feeling. It could be the case that this was a genuine misunderstanding.

For example: "I understand that you were disappointed by how long you had to wait for your appointment. I can see how that was frustrating when you had a busy day ahead of you!"

2. Take responsibility and share how you are working on a solution.

The next step is to show you care enough about the concern to ensure it doesn't happen again. In the event that it was a mistake on your part, it's a good idea to address how you've corrected the issue to prevent it from reoccurring.

For example, "Our cook staff missed the note to add the extra toppings to your order. Going forward, we've implemented a clearer order system so these requests aren't missed."

If it's a situation where you are not at fault, this is a good opportunity to gently explain what happened. Be sure to avoid getting defensive or over-explaining the situation. Be clear, direct, and empathetic to the customer's experience.

3. Take the conversation offline.

The last thing you want is a heated discourse on a public platform!

End your response by inviting the customer to contact you directly. With this invitation, reassure them that you are committed to providing quality service and that you'd appreciate the opportunity to make things right.

Why This Works

Acknowledging the customer's concern and empathizing with their feelings is a key first step to calming the situation. It's also a great way to demonstrate that you truly care about your customer's experience.

The other important component here is that you are showing your commitment to quality service. By taking a proactive approach to finding a solution, it shows potential customers who are reading this interaction that you are worth trusting with their business.

What do you get out of all this?

See, most business owners don't realize that a bad review is actually an opportunity.

A bad review creates the perfect landscape to show off your customer service skills proving that you're dedicated to providing customers with a positive experience. People are much more likely to do business with companies that will care for them.

Now that you know how to deal with a bad review, how are you showing off your great reviews? Great reviews are worth their weight in gold to help you encourage prospects to buy from you and recommend you to their friends. I've got an opportunity for you to showcase your positive reviews on your social media. Want to know how? Just click here for all the details.

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