We often get asked by agents and agencies - How do I respond to a negative review? So we asked our Business Manager Jess to give us her best advice....
Lots of agents/agencies are worried about turning on their Facebook reviews for fear of getting a bad one or they simply ignore their Google reviews when they aren't positive. In my mind, that's like sticking your fingers in your ears and yelling "Lah Lah Lah" when someone tries to give you feedback on your business.
It also means you are missing a valuable opportunity to collect plenty of GREAT reviews and positive feedback from your customers!
If someone leaves you a bad review it's likely for one of two reasons - your service hasn't met expectations and they want to tell you because you haven't provided another opportunity for them to do so OR you've done everything you can and nothing can make them happy.
In the first instance, this is your chance to lift your customer service and give them what they want- someone who listens and provides a solution.
In both cases, my advice is, take a breath. If the review is negative, the last thing you want to do is respond in frustration or be defensive. Take some time to take on board the criticism and see if there is anything you can learn from or see the reviewer's point of view.
It is important to respond to the review publically but if required, take the conversation offline as quickly as possible. Empathize, try to provide a solution, and sign off with your name so the client knows they are communicating with a human. If required, offer them a way to continue to conversation on another forum, whether email or phone rather than getting into a lengthy conversation in your reviews.
Potential customers are more likely to look at your response to the review, rather than the review itself so keep that in mind and NEVER get into a back and forth with a disgruntled customer online!
Lastly, if you promise to do something for this unhappy customer, make sure you and your team follow up and that the feedback is recorded.
Don't forget - bad reviews are nothing to be scared of. They are a learning experience for your business and your response is often more important than the review itself so if you get one, don't just close your eyes and hope it goes away!
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