{"id":16877,"date":"2017-07-31T22:45:07","date_gmt":"2017-07-31T22:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/?p=16877"},"modified":"2024-11-27T03:53:19","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T11:53:19","slug":"how-to-respond-to-bad-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/how-to-respond-to-bad-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"How to respond to bad reviews and repair your online reputation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p> Reviews are pretty darn important: 92% of customers use them to make purchase decisions (BrightLocal). Having a few positive reviews is great, but receiving negative online reviews is an inevitable part of running a business. Since 44% of customers consider reviews older than a month irrelevant, you need to make sure you <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/review-management\/\">manage all your reviews<\/a> as they come in. This way you can minimize the damage of negative reviews. Since negative reviews can hit your online reputation, it is very important to know how to respond to bad reviews and repair your <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/online-reputation-management\/\">online reputation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Respond in a sympathizing way and acknowledge the customers concerns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be honest and open with the customer about how you are going to fix it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take the conversation offline. Don&#8217;t make it worse and go back and forth with online responses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep your response simple and easy to understand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"570\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/respond-to_bad_reviews.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40788\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/respond-to_bad_reviews.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/respond-to_bad_reviews-300x167.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/respond-to_bad_reviews-768x428.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/respond-to_bad_reviews-810x451.jpeg 810w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Positive <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/review-management\/\">business reviews<\/a> are welcomed with open arms and cause little friction. But here\u2019s the twist: friction can be beneficial, because growth requires feedback\u2013all reviews are feedback. Negative customer feedback is often even more valuable than positive feedback.<gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Absorb <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/negative-feedback-examples\/\">negative feedback<\/a> as constructive criticism\u2013your customers may be complaining, but they\u2019re still taking the time to engage with you. Negative online reviews are only posted by customers who care. Return the favor. Dig deep into customer reviews to pinpoint the issue. Often customers vent in long-winded rants, and the actual problem is difficult to identify amidst that hurricane of emotion. Comments like \u201cworst service\u201d or \u201chorrible quality\u201d are vehement but vague. You may have to directly ask the customer to explain their issue in detail. Once you understand the problem, you can take corrective action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, when customers post negative reviews, they believe their complaint is valid whether it truly is or not. This means even if they aren\u2019t in the right, something led them to believe they were. If you can identify what that something is, you have the opportunity to bridge the gap, address concerns, improve your business and stop it from leading to a negative reputation. In your response, clear up any misunderstandings to prevent any future confusion from potential customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/resources\/guides\/templates-for-responding-to-reviews\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/All-the-review-response-templates-you-will-ever-need.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46478\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-respond-to-bad-reviews-turn-negative-feedback-into-positive-experiences\">How to respond to bad reviews &#8211; turn negative feedback into positive experiences:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-how-to wp-block-yoast-how-to-block\"><p class=\"schema-how-to-description\"><\/p> <ol class=\"schema-how-to-steps\"><li class=\"schema-how-to-step\" id=\"how-to-step-1676630981620\"><strong class=\"schema-how-to-step-name\"><strong>Don\u2019t react\u2013respond.<\/strong><br\/><br\/><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-how-to-step-text\">Address customer complaints promptly and thoroughly: 69% of customers attribute their positive customer service experience to swift resolution of their issue (Zendesk). Fight the knee-jerk urge to defend your business, even if the negative feedback is unfair. As in any human interaction, denials and accusations only elevate conflicts. The shorter the conversation, the better. Also account for the setting: if bad customer reviews are posted on public sites, whatever you say is visible to everyone. Even in private exchanges, however, your response reflects your business as a whole. Timely responses show respect, but rushed responses are dangerous. If the negative feedback strikes a nerve, wait until you\u2019ve calmed down to plan out your reply. Take a walk around the block, watch a funny cat video, whatever works. Then begin carefully choosing your words.<\/p> <\/li><li class=\"schema-how-to-step\" id=\"how-to-step-1676630996228\"><strong class=\"schema-how-to-step-name\"><strong>Appreciate the voice of the customer.<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-how-to-step-text\"><br\/>As mentioned above, negative feedback really can benefit your business. Without complaints, a problem may continue repeatedly and possibly worsen. Let your customers know you sincerely appreciate their feedback; even if you had to take a cold bath to quell your fury, don\u2019t let it show. Swallow your pride, thoughtfully acknowledge your customer\u2019s dissatisfaction and thank them respectfully for their feedback. A gracious response can transform livid customers into loyal ones. Ending the conversation on a positive note can spin a customer complaint into an outstanding <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/customer-experience\/\">customer experience<\/a>.<\/p> <\/li><li class=\"schema-how-to-step\" id=\"how-to-step-1676631010375\"><strong class=\"schema-how-to-step-name\"><strong>Provide evidence of customer experience improvement.<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-how-to-step-text\"><br\/>If you were able to take immediate steps to resolve the problem, let the customer know in your initial response. Otherwise, outline the steps you will take to fix it. If the issue was not promptly resolved before your response, follow up once you\u2019ve made changes so the customer knows you really listened.<\/p> <\/li><\/ol><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>How to respond to bad reviews &#8211; Learn how Birdeye&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/online-reputation-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reputation Management solutions<\/a> let you respond instantly to reviews and promote positive reviews across the web.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/resources\/guides\/the-ultimate-guide-to-managing-negative-reviews\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1345\" height=\"115\" src=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Managing-Negative-Reviews-Narrow-EBOOK.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Managing-Negative-Reviews-Narrow-EBOOK.png 1345w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Managing-Negative-Reviews-Narrow-EBOOK-300x26.png 300w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Managing-Negative-Reviews-Narrow-EBOOK-1024x88.png 1024w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Managing-Negative-Reviews-Narrow-EBOOK-768x66.png 768w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Managing-Negative-Reviews-Narrow-EBOOK-810x69.png 810w, https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Managing-Negative-Reviews-Narrow-EBOOK-1140x97.png 1140w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1345px) 100vw, 1345px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><gwmw style=\"display:none;\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reviews are pretty darn important: 92% of customers use them to make purchase decisions (BrightLocal). Having a few positive reviews is great, but receiving negative online reviews is an inevitable part of running a business. Since 44% of customers consider reviews older than a month irrelevant, you need to make sure you manage all your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":18961,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8550,8583],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-online-reviews","category-review-management"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.5 (Yoast SEO v26.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Respond to bad reviews &amp; repair your online reputation | Birdeye<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Negative reviews can be frustrating, but knowing how to manage them can help. \u2713 Learn how to properly respond to bad reviews in this blog.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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As in any human interaction, denials and accusations only elevate conflicts. The shorter the conversation, the better. Also account for the setting: if bad customer reviews are posted on public sites, whatever you say is visible to everyone. Even in private exchanges, however, your response reflects your business as a whole. Timely responses show respect, but rushed responses are dangerous. If the negative feedback strikes a nerve, wait until you\u2019ve calmed down to plan out your reply. Take a walk around the block, watch a funny cat video, whatever works. Then begin carefully choosing your words."}]},{"@type":"HowToStep","url":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/how-to-respond-to-bad-reviews\/#how-to-step-1676630996228","name":"Appreciate the voice of the customer.","itemListElement":[{"@type":"HowToDirection","text":"<br\/>As mentioned above, negative feedback really can benefit your business. Without complaints, a problem may continue repeatedly and possibly worsen. Let your customers know you sincerely appreciate their feedback; even if you had to take a cold bath to quell your fury, don\u2019t let it show. Swallow your pride, thoughtfully acknowledge your customer\u2019s dissatisfaction and thank them respectfully for their feedback. A gracious response can transform livid customers into loyal ones. Ending the conversation on a positive note can spin a customer complaint into an outstanding <a href=\"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/customer-experience\/\">customer experience<\/a>."}]},{"@type":"HowToStep","url":"https:\/\/birdeye.com\/blog\/how-to-respond-to-bad-reviews\/#how-to-step-1676631010375","name":"Provide evidence of customer experience improvement.","itemListElement":[{"@type":"HowToDirection","text":"<br\/>If you were able to take immediate steps to resolve the problem, let the customer know in your initial response. Otherwise, outline the steps you will take to fix it. 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