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How to Handle a Negative Review
Replying to a negative review calmly and respectfully provides a company with an opportunity to show how much they care about their customers and their business.
Nobody’s perfect and from time to time you may receive a negative review about your business. There’s no reason to panic or to get upset. The best thing to do is provide positive feedback and to learn from the review. Engaging with the reviewer builds trust and makes your business look good.
Turn a bad review into a positive experience
- Should I reply or ignore negative reviews?
- Will a well written and thought out response help my business?
- Will the occasional negative review make my business look better or worse?
These are the main questions business owners as us regarding the topic of negative reviews. As unusual at it seems, bad reviews often have a positive effect. Mainly because it gives the business a chance to reply and show readers that they care about what people think. Carefully replying to every review, especially negative reviews, can benefit your business.
Calm, cool, and relaxed
How you reply to a negative review says a lot about you and your business. Stay positive and professional and remember, it’s not personal. We always recommend that you keep responses brief, polite, and in line with your brand. Start by thanking the reviewer for their feedback. The best replies always directly address the issue at hand.
Take advantage of negative reviews
Every time someone writes a bad review about your business it’s an opportunity. Use them to your advantage and to gain new business.
- Replying helps you show that you care about your customers.
- A positive reply lets consumers know that you can relate to their experience. This can actually increase sales.
- Negative reviews show users that your reviews are real. A business with nothing but 5 star reviews can look suspicious to some readers believe it or not.
- When a customer leaves a negative review it gives you an opportunity to address and solve an existing issue. This often turns an unhappy customer into a return customer.
- Every negative review provides you with insight about your business that you can use to your benefit and improve your operation.
Don't report negative reviews
Receiving bad reviews sucks. Period. We most definitely understand the feeling of wanting to get rid of a bad review. Reporting 1-2 star reviews is almost never the best course of action.
Receiving a negative review is not a valid reason to send a report email. Reviews should only be reported if the violate of Review Guidelines.
If a person feels like they’ve had a negative experience and also had their opinion silenced it only adds to their frustration.
Reporting a negative review removes any chance for you to take advantage of the situation as mentioned above.
What if it's definitely not accurate?
If, in your opinion, a users reviews is definitely inaccurate, it’s still a very good idea to respectfully reply to the review with your side of the story. It may not change their mind but other readers are usually experienced enough to recognize what’s happening and that the reviewer is being unreasonable.
Keep in mind that your business has to comply with the NUGGETRY Business Guidelines. Keep it light, friendly, and be polite even if your frustrated about the situation. Regardless of what’s been written about your business.
How to respond to a review
To respond to a user review simply log into your NUGGETRY business profile and then click the “reply” link below the review. A text box will open where you can write your reply. Replies immediately appear on the site after they are posted.
