If you are one of those people who believe that reviews are great, then you might want to know what you can do when you get a bad review. This article is going to talk about how bad reviews can affect your business and what you can do if it happens to your business.
Prevent Bad Reviews From Happening in the First Place
Reviews can be a great way for people to learn about products and services, but they can also be a terrible headache. Bad reviews can happen for many reasons, so it’s important to know how to prevent them from happening in the first place.
The best way to avoid bad reviews is by providing an excellent customer service experience. If you are responsive and provide quick feedback, you’ll likely never have a bad review on your hands.
It is important that you don’t engage in any negative back and forth with the reviewer because this will only make things worse. You may not be able to remove or delete a bad review, but there are steps you can take to handle it.
You can reply to the reviewer and ask for more details about their problem. This will show them that you care about their feedback and want to fix the problem. You can also give them a coupon or freebie in exchange for their feedback on your product.
Difference Between Bad Review and Defamation:
Defamation involves presenting false data as facts in an attempt to make a person, business, or entity look bad. The statement may be defamatory if a company loses customers as a result of the false statement. Libel and slander are both forms of defamation that can damage any business.
As opposed to a good review, a bad review reflects the customer’s first-hand experience with a company’s goods or services. There are two types of negative reviews: good and bad. For example, an honest and unbiased review of a product should explain how it fails to meet customer expectations.
Suing for Bad Reviews
A business may allow customers to leave online reviews, depending on the quality of product or service they have received. Reviews usually describe the customer’s experience, thereby assisting potential customers in their shopping decision. A business may take legal action against a reviewer who intentionally posts misleading or negative reviews if the statement is false or defamatory. There are many more cases where businesses have sued their customers for negative reviews that have set legal precedents around the world.
It is also important to determine whether the review qualifies as defamation or if it would be protected under the free speech doctrine before you file a lawsuit. Defamation requires that a statement meet certain criteria. For example, a statement must satisfy the following elements to qualify as defamation:
- False statements were made.
- The article was distributed to a third party.
- Rather than a statement of opinion, it is a statement of fact.
- This caused damage to the party that was defamed.
- The review was neither confidential nor privileged.
What are the possible Damages?
In a defamation lawsuit, you may be able to recover the following damages:
- Losses as a result of the false statement or defamation would be compensated for by actual damages.
- Compensation for the damaged reputation of a company in the form of non-economic damages.
- Reducing the company’s loss by mitigating damages.
- The reviewer could be punished further through punitive damages.
Getting Sued for a Negative Review is Difficult
Any business’ growth and revenue are heavily influenced by online reviews. Nearly 88% of people check reviews of businesses before making a purchase. Your business may benefit from positive reviews, but negative reviews can also damage your reputation. It may be possible for you or your company to file a lawsuit against the reviewer and claim compensation for damages caused by a negative review.
Defamation cases and bad reviews are among the complex legal matters that lawyers help business owners in with comprehensive legal guidance. An experienced attorney can evaluate your situation and conduct a complete investigation as well as gather evidence that supports your claim. If you suffer business damages, their representation will be beneficial to you.