When you have an online business, reviews can go a long way in increasing your online reputation, showing how well that you take care of customers. However, many websites people can leave reviews on, and these can sometimes be unfair. There are even situations where a scathing review has been done for the wrong company, and these can be awkward to rectify. Below you will find advice on dealing with online customer reviews, and what you can do about unfair reviews of your business.
Where Reviews Can Be Left
There are many places where customers can leave reviews of their experiences with a company, and you will need to keep on top of them to try and avoid any problems. Some of the most common places where people leave reviews are:
- Trip Advisor
- Directory Listings
You will want to have a notification as soon as a review is left so that you can address it as quickly as you can, whether it is a kind review or not.
Make Sure You Are Responsive
When you have been left a review, you must be responsive and get back to the customer as quickly as you can. When they leave a nice message, you can often thank them for their kind words and encourage them to visit again. You should be just as responsive to the bad reviews as well. Before posting a public reply, you should think about what to say carefully, and maybe even get another person’s opinion before posting it. Repairing bad reputations through reputation management can be a drawn-out process that takes time and money, so avoiding that situation if possible is advisable.
A Bad Review Is Not The End Of The World
Many businesses get very protective of their online reputations, and they sometimes feel like their world is falling around them when they receive a bad review. However, it is not the end of the world, and people expect to see both good and bad reviews when they look at a company online. You may think that in a perfect world having hundreds of 5-star reviews is the best way to go, but many people will avoid businesses when there are no negative comments at all.
At the end of the day, once a review has been left, unless it contravenes the guidelines, there is often not a lot that you can do. Instead, prioritise giving your customers excellent service, and you will have much less to worry about when it comes to your online reputation. A bad online review will not kill a business but providing poor customer service will, so treat every guest as if they were royalty and make sure that they know how much you appreciate their custom.
