The Right Way to Respond to User Reviews

There is absolutely no denying the weight and power that one single review can have. Ask any restaurant who suffered an incredible loss in business over a one-star rating on Yelp.

The customer has more control now over the customer experience, and that’s exactly how it should be. Take the hint and be proactive… say it with me now: “the customer is always right!”

Remember that you would not have a business if people weren’t there to give you money in exchange for goods or services. Whoever you are, and whatever you do, putting customer experience as a high priority is the “secret” behind every successful business.

Here are some ways to be proactive and avoid getting the negative reviews that can cripple your business… maybe even earning the positive reviews that can bring you new customers!

• Screen employees carefully, choosing the workers who will go above and beyond to maintain the principles of your brand
• Ensure that management maintains high levels of control over providing customers with a positive experience.
• Respond to reviews published online—both positive and negative. Apologize to upset reviewers and offer a solution. Other users will be able to tell if a bad review is just a difficult person. Also thank positive reviewers for their patronage and give a sincere compliment.

However, even with an emphasis on quality… some customers are just difficult. No matter what you do, they are unhappy. If an apology and solution does not help, there are basically two ways you can react: the right way, or the wrong way.

• Do take a note of the customer feedback. It matters.
• Do not let it ruin the way you do business, unless it is a complaint you receive often. In that case, listen to what your customers are saying and change the way you do business.
• Do continue the conversation publically, if that is what it takes to communicate with this upset customer. As long as you are in the right, others can publically see the effort you put in to providing a positive customer experience. In the end it’s not about “winning or losing”… but this communication may also lead to more exposure to new customers.
• Do not delete negative comments. This is literally the worst thing you can do.