Negative reviews are one of the most uncomfortable realities of owning and operating a franchise business. No matter what you do to ensure top-quality products and services, there will be times when something happens to make the customer experience less than optimal. Whether it’s an honest mistake, an employee misstep, or an impossible-to-please customer, these situations may lead to a bad review of your business. Of course, you know that bad reviews can impact the purchasing decisions of potential customers. So how should you handle the situation?
How to handle negative reviews is the topic of this blog post. We pick up from our last article, How to Monitor Reviews Manually or Using Review Monitoring Software. Dealing with bad reviews is an entirely different subject, requiring its own discussion and strategy.
As the latest article in our series How to Unleash the Power of Online Reviews in Your Franchise, we take the position that you should have an active role when handling negative reviews. Below, we’ll discuss a simple strategy – and why you need to have one.
Why Responding to Bad Reviews Matters
Negative reviews impact your bottom line. Research shows that 94% of customers have avoided a company because of bad reviews.
That said, how you handle a negative review matters much more than you probably realize. In our last article, we highlighted research that found consumers are much more likely to use businesses that reply to reviews (both good and bad).
The business’s response to the negative review is even more important for the reviewer. Recent research from ZenBusiness found that responding (or not responding) to negative reviews greatly impacts behavior.
- 76% of people over 40 have stopped going to a business because the complaint in their review was not addressed. The number was 56.5% for those in their 20s and 61% for those in their 30s.
- About 1 in 4 people will either change their negative review to be more positive after the business responds OR remove the bad review entirely. The percentages vary by age, with those in their 20s more likely to remove/edit the review.
This research indicates that business owners can sway prospects reading the review AND the reviewer himself/herself back in the business’s favor by responding to the bad review. So, let’s talk about how to do that below.
A 10-Step Strategy for Handling Negative Reviews
You’re checking online review websites, and you notice a bad review from a customer. What should you do? Presuming you have claimed your business listing, you can reply directly to that customer…and what you say matters! Follow this 10-step strategy to get it right.
1. Avoid an Emotional Reaction
Before you reply to the reviewer, the first thing to do is to keep your emotions in check. It can be easy to take it personally. Don’t. Everyone gets negative reviews. Think of your favorite business, one you believe sets the standard for quality products and services. Even they have bad reviews. So don’t get emotional or defensive; doing so can only worsen the problem.
2. Investigate the Issue
Before responding to a bad review, it’s usually a good idea to investigate and learn more about what happened. The review itself may clue you in on when the experience occurred. For example, if the reviewer says, “I went to BUSINESS last night and received the worst service ever!” then maybe you were there or can talk to the employees who were present. Investigating the issue can give you context for the negative review.
3. Be Professional and Courteous
Responding to negative reviews requires you to put on the right mindset. As you represent the business, you’ll want to be professional and courteous in everything you say. How would you respond to the reviewer if they were in person? It’s a valid question, as people can often act differently when behind the screen instead of face to face. Treat the reviewer as a valuable customer whose trust and respect you would like to earn back. When you finish writing your response, re-read it with this thought in mind.
4. Acknowledge and Empathize
In most cases, you can start your response with a simple acknowledgment of the issue that has happened. For example:
- “Thank you for sharing your feedback and letting us know about this issue.”
- “I understand that you experienced a PROBLEM at our business yesterday.”
Acknowledging the issue helps the reviewer feel heard and will ease the tension of the situation.
5. Apologize (When Appropriate)
Apologizing to reviewers who leave negative reviews is a tough call. You can and should show empathy. In doing so, you may show compassion for what happened to them and how it impacted their experience. However, you don’t want to take responsibility for something that wasn’t your fault. A sincere, empathetic apology may look like “We set high standards for service and are truly sorry to hear that our service did not meet your expectations yesterday. Your satisfaction is our number one priority.”
6. Offer an Explanation (When Appropriate)
Another delicate thing to manage when handling negative reviews is the explanation for the problem the reviewer experienced. Getting defensive could anger the reviewer even more, and readers will be able to tell if you are making excuses that don’t exist. However, if there is a reasonable explanation (technical issues, limited staff, etc.), you may offer it in the response.
7. Correct the Problem
Instead of dwelling too long on the situation that happened (explaining, defending, sharing excuses), it’s best to make your response future-oriented and discuss what you have done or will do to address the issue. Perhaps the technical issue has been resolved. Or maybe the customer qualifies for a refund. Or it could be as simple as reaffirming your commitment to stellar customer service and asking them to try your business again. Be positive and future-oriented in your response.
8. Follow-Up Opportunity
Another thing to add when you respond to a bad review is an invitation to discuss it further outside the review platform. Share your contact information (email and/or phone number) so that they can reach out to you to share more details or so you can resolve the matter. For example, “I would be happy to discuss this issue further. Please reach out to me personally via email or phone.”
9. Sign Off with Name and Title
Just as when you reply to positive reviews, it’s good to end negative reviews by signing off with your name and title (and contact info, if appropriate). This makes the response more personal and genuine and gives the reviewer a real person to follow up with.
10. Don’t Ask to Remove the Review
When dealing with negative reviews, you shouldn’t ask the person to remove or change the review. The research we cited at the beginning of this article mentioned that a response from a business could motivate a person to remove or change the review. However, asking the person directly in your response could worsen the situation. The point of your response is to make the client feel their complaint was heard and taken seriously. If they follow up with you by phone or email, and if you resolve their complaint in a manner where they are obviously satisfied, then at that time, you may consider asking them to update the review to reflect the resolution.
Turning a Bad Review into a Positive Experience
Most of the time, when a customer leaves a bad review, they simply want to be acknowledged. They want to know that their experience matters and that you’re listening. By following the steps above, you’ll be able to turn a negative review into a positive experience for the reviewer in question. Meanwhile, you can also gain the respect of those reading the review and encourage them to give your franchise business a chance.
As we near the end of our series on customer reviews, we have one more subject to cover—how to get the most out of your online reviews and use them strategically in your business. Stay tuned for next time as we cover this important topic!
