Everyone receives a negative comment from time to time. It’s inevitable when you have a business website or social media page. The truth is, we just can please everyone and disagreements happen. Don’t look at it as a bad thing and try using it as as an opportunity to improve your business. When responding, remember to stay calm and use your upcoming response as a catalyst for great customer service.
7 Tips for Responding to Negative Reviews
1. Do not use caps locks
No one likes to be yelled at. All capital letters make it seem like you are yelling back at the person. In our heads we might be, but try toning it down by removing the all caps. Also, adding exclamation points to the sentence does not help either. Stay calm with lowercase letters and proper punctuation.
2. No fluff
The person receiving the response just wants an answer. Or, maybe they just wanted to vent. Whatever the case may be, try to stick with the facts. No need to add extra words to make them like you.
3. Respect their opinion
Start by thanking them for their feedback and taking time out of their day to address an issue. This might turn their feelings around because a small thank you can go a long way. Thanking the person also gives you the moral high ground so feel free to start every response with, “thank you for your feedback.”
4. Take time to cool off
It is important to never react and to simply respond. Reacting would mean you are responding in a negative state so take some time to cool down before you respond. The timing with this can be different for everyone so asses the situation to the best of your ability. Talk to co-workers about the situation and feel free to address the negative comment as a team.
5. Respond in a timely manner
What they have said is obviously important enough to disclose in public, so address the situation within 24-48 hours if possible. Make sure you have given yourself enough time to cool off, but do not let the situation linger longer than 48 hours. The comment is still fresh at this point and this shows that you are an active participant.
6. Opportunity to learn
Just like we mentioned in the beginning, this Is an opportunity to improve your business. Learn from the review you have been given. If someone is simply being negative and there has been no constructive criticism, use this time as an opportunity to learn about how you react to a situation and the best way to respond.
7. Let it go
At the end of the day, someone’s opinion is just that, an opinion. If you know that what you are selling is ethical and you’re providing value than there should be nothing to worry about. Allow yourself to be upset the first few negative comments, but then move on and let it go. Once you have acknowledged how to proceed, do not dwell on anything negative.