Best Practices For Managing Online Reviews Of Your Business

Regardless of where the review is — be it Google, Yelp, Facebook, Bing, Foursquare, Amazon or any Internet platform — you can capitalise on a good review, and minimise the damage of a bad review.

Together we’re going to check different reviews and their responses collected from the Internet.

Remember that feedback and criticism can be helpful. A reviewer has taken time to invest in a business in an attempt to make it better — so thank them, even if you don’t agree with them. Business owners are always looking for a way to better understand the customer experience, and there is no better way than a review. The reviewer may have a relevant point about the business, so it’s important to consider what they have to say without going on the defensive.

Why are businesses so afraid of negative reviews? Bad reviews are a goldmine for understanding how to improve your business. The more negative the review, the more it can help you because it will show you exactly where you’re falling short, or at least where to look.

First of all, let’s establish some basics:

● Negative reviews don’t mean your business is bad

● Poor reviews can help your business

● Handling bad reviews is easy

● The best way to combat bad reviews? Get more good ones!

A study by Harvard Business School found the majority of consumers trust reviews more when they see a mix of good and bad feedback. If the feedback is entirely positive, 95 percent of people believe the reviews are fake or company-screened. Disappointment happens when expectations aren’t fulfilled. Brands can use the data collected from negative reviews to better communicate to new and existing customers what they should expect.

The potential customers are reading all reviews and all responses, making a judgment about your customer service and how that might apply to how your business treats its customers in-house.

In fact, 82% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, with 52% of 18–54-year-olds saying they ‘always’ read reviews, according to a consumer survey from BrightLocal. This means that what you say matters — even if the review isn’t recent. It’s a good idea to go back and respond to your old reviews, even if they’re from several years ago. Let that customer know you heard them and let other prospective customers know that you’re present and listening.

Let’s say a clothing store gets negative reviews saying that the fit on a top was too small.

Shoppers who read those bad product reviews know that they need to order a larger size. Shoppers can see the reason behind negative feedback and then can use this knowledge to make smarter purchasing decisions. Shoppers don’t want to buy blindly. They want the whole story before making an online purchase, and real feedback from fellow shoppers gives them insight that a product description alone can’t.

Adding a response to a negative review gives you the chance, as a business owner, to offer your perspective, explain the situation, and/or apologise if necessary. Anyone coming to visit your site can see both sides of the story. Here, you can explain politely, provide your point of view, and thank the reviewer for taking the time to share their experience and offer feedback.

If you’re in business long enough, you will get reviews that are comically bad, or don’t seem to make any sense. For the most part, these can be ignored. However, feedback that’s too far off the wall can be indicative of a couple of things.

First, it’s possible the reviewer is confusing your business with another one. Or, in extreme cases, it could be that a competitor is trying to use fake accounts to bash you online. You should keep your eyes open for both possibilities.

Never respond more than twice to the same customer about the same issue on a public channel.

Ideally, a business should have an in-house manager who will monitor all the reviews and respond to them accordingly. These responsibilities can be partially fulfilled by a chatbot or by redirecting reviews to different specialists in accordance with specific phrases included within the comments. For instance, if a review is about delivery troubles, a chatbot will ask the customer to provide an order number and redirect this message to logistics or another responsible department for a more detailed conversation.

This approach will only perform as you need it to if your chatbot operates with a high level of artificial intelligence and is able to read and recognise what a customer has written. If you launch this level of service with a low-quality chatbot, which could include a one-size-fits-all auto response, this could turn into a huge problem or even an object of ridicule. It’s also unlikely to make your customer feel valued.

I’ve found some examples of real reviews and answers to them from across the Internet!

Some of them are just perfect, some are bad. Nevertheless you will better understand how important it is to answer all kinds of reviews. To aide your understanding of the language used in the reviews, I have helped out with the English a little, but in all cases the context remains the same as it was originally intended by the authors.

CASE #1: How to Respond When a Client Says: “You’re too expensive!”

- You are too expensive!

- Really! Expensive, compared to what?

If your clients never tell you that you are too expensive, then you are probably too cheap.

Review

Love the concept and layout, but $16 for a plain quad espresso? And another buck to get it iced? I want to love this place so much, as the bicycle service has been good and friendly so far, and fairly priced. But there is an unfortunate air of elitism floating around the place, and the absurdly overpriced coffee is a good way to push me back to the nearest Starbucks.

Response from the owner

Thanks for stopping by Josh. Our coffee prices are based on market value and our espresso roasts are usually single-origin seeds from top producers all over the world, or our own house blend from Slate Coffee. Our manual espresso machine pulls the highest quality shots and gives our baristas control over every aspect of the espresso. For this reason we do charge for each additional shot; quad shots can add up this way. We aren’t exaggerating when we say that we truly believe our coffee is the best in town. We would love to see you back soon!

Review

Expensive, noisy, terrible crowd. Left after 10 minutes.

Response from the owner

A crowd in a restaurant usually signifies that guests like the place. Don’t you think so? We are sorry that we are expensive for you, but you can try some restaurants close to us — we are located in quite a busy area.

Review

I would never ever pay so much money per manicure and pedicure! I had gotten a gift card from a friend so it was basically free. The experience was definitely amazing, the staff was extremely friendly and also very efficient. I just cannot justify spending that much money on nail polish that essentially chips the next day! If you have some extra money burning a hole in your pocket then head on down.

Response from the owner

Dear Kate, So glad that you liked our staff. Yes, our prices are slightly higher than your usual ‘’nail’’ salon. Our stainless steel implements are sterilised in an autoclave, that’s the same machine a dentist surgery uses to make sure their implements are clean and safe.

Review

RIP OFF!!! Hotels are expensive, and when we dump inventory at bargain rates we attract travellers unaccustomed to $65 parking fees and $42 breakfasts.

Response from the owner

Our pricing is comparable to similar properties in the area and we feel we provide good value given our central location and extensive facilities. We regret that this was not your impression and offer our apologies.

There is no reason why you should feel the need to defend yourself. There is no reason why you should apologise for the pricing you established. But every review needs an answer as you do not want to be rude towards your clients. So keep your response short and sweet. Every answer needs to be individual but you can start your conversation with the phrases:

• We always aim to deliver a great experience and believe that our services/products are worth the price we established.
• We totally understand not everyone can make a choice to buy our products/services. Our products/services do not work for everyone’s budget. If you decide it works for you, we’d love to have you.

CASE #2: Restaurant Situation

- I accidentally swallowed a dead spider in my coffee, will it enter my lungs and I die?

- No, you can become Spider-Man.

Review

I like the place. It is elegant, it has a good atmosphere, cuisine, and service. But you need to keep track of the bar, instead of Moet & Chandon Champagne we got Prosecco.

Response from the owner

Yes, we are sorry for this situation. This is our mistake, but explainable. The cocktail was pulled from the menu several months ago, and our new employees were not trained in old recipes. This annoying mistake was a lesson for us. We very much regret that such an oversight has damaged our reputation. For us, honesty is one of the most important principles. We hope you accept our apologies!

Review

It is a high-end restaurant concerning the service and interior, but unfortunately not in the kitchen. Good atmosphere, light unobtrusive music and professional waiters. Several times we’ve been, both in the evening and at lunch and everything was perfect, including the kitchen.

Unfortunately, during the last visit I ordered salmon. Its fillet was brought in of an incomprehensible consistency, the waiter immediately picked it up, recognised the fillet wasn’t right and excluded it from the bill.

Dear owners, you have one of the most expensive establishments, and besides, this is just ordinary salmon. Not something exotic, is it really hard to keep it fresh? But if this happened in the most incredible set of circumstances, then teach the waiters to compensate for this with a complimentary drink to smooth the situation.

Response from the owner

We are very upset about this situation, because we always try to carefully monitor the quality of our dishes. In this case, we decided to replace the salmon supplier. We apologise and thank you for your feedback! You help us get better.

Review

It was my favourite place, but now it is very spoiled. Apparently you have saved on products. 4 times I gave you a chance but the last 4 visits were unsuccessful. Today, for example, I ate your Oreo cheesecake, which had been my favourite. It used to be solid with cottage cheese, but is now kind of starchy. Not the same texture and there is no cheese at all, and the base is not solid, not like a cheesecake should be, but like charlotte dough. Generally it can not be compared with how it used to be. And before that I don’t remember, but with the waffles I was served somehow not Philadelphia, but whipped sour cream with sugar and a cupcake.

Response from the owner

Good afternoon! Thank you very much for your answer and for paying attention to these moments .Regarding the Oreo cheesecake, we did a little investigation right after we received your feedback and found out that yesterday we had a problem with the refrigerator. The temperature rose and the cheesecake was at a temperature that was not the same as usual, and this affected the consistency of the dessert. But we assure you that we always take the quality issue very seriously and nothing has changed in the technology and recipe of desserts from the first day of the Milk Bar. We invite you to make sure of this and want to treat you to a slice of Oreo cheesecake and coffee. Just show this message to administrators when you are with us.

We hope you accept our invitation and give us another chance.

Review

Great place but I asked for pickles and there were no pickles. There were also onions and mustard which I did not ask for. I love this place because I love the salami and cheese but the last time it was delivered, it was a disappointment.

Response from the owner

Hi, I am sorry this happened. It is likely that rather than not following your instructions, you actually received the wrong sub. That’s on us. Next time your are in, ask for me and I’ll take care of you. I want to get you that perfect salami and cheese sandwich.

Thank you for taking the time to let me know. I am going to continue to make sure my staff know the importance of what we do and how it can make or break someone’s meal.

Thank you

Always offer to make your wrongs right. If someone was unhappy with their meal, invite them in for a free dinner on the house, and put your best chef on it. If their shirt arrived with a tear in the sleeve, send a replacement one — and do it ASAP.

Many times, customers won’t take you up on your offer of a freebie, but it’s vital that you offer regardless — if only to show potential leads that you’re willing to go the extra mile. (Source: Tinuiti).

CASE #3: Bad service

“Customers are like teeth. Ignore them and they’ll go away.” Jerry Flanagan, State Farm Agent

Review

In the shop it is impossible to walk with a baby stroller on the 2nd and 3rd floors, the same applies to people with disabilities.

At the suggestion of a store employee to send a request to equip the stairs with a ramp, I received a brief answer: “No one will do this.”

Response from the owner

We apologise for the incorrect behaviour of our staff. Regarding the ramp, unfortunately, we can not install it, because the building is a historical monument in which such radical changes can not be made. Our advisers and security guards at the entrance are always happy to help with a wheelchair (children or disabled). They have instructions on how to do this.

Review

Why do you arrange for the wrapping of gifts, if the boy and the girls are doing so very slowly and with boredom on their faces, talking about whether it will end soon and where they will go?

Response from the owner

Emma, we want to apologise for this unpleasant situation. We will immediately conduct explanatory work with the staff. We promise that this will not happen again.

Review

So disappointed that this dealership and service centre has forgotten it is about customer service. We are never going here again and suggest that others demand respect when they are handing over hard-earned money.

Response from the owner

Hi, we would like to apologise for your negative experience at our dealership. We’d like to learn more about your specific situation and make things right. If you wouldn’t mind giving us a call at *** at your earliest convenience, it would be greatly appreciated. We look forward to speaking with you and working towards earning back your business.

Review

Rubbish. Order never arrived and customer services didn’t care! I was initially impressed by the price and selection, but despite saying the order would arrive in 2–3 days, it never did. Customer services couldn’t trace the order and all I could do was cancel the order. Complete waste of time.

Response from the owner

I am sorry to hear that your order never arrived, and that our customer care team couldn’t trace it. As discussed on the phone, this was due to a system error that did not alert you to the fact the item was out of stock. I’m glad we were able to reorder, and I can confirm the problem has been resolved. Please do get in touch with any further questions. Alan, Customer Care.

Remember the saying, “negative attention is still attention”? It’s true. Remember, responding positively to negative reviews can actually increase sales for your business. Never ignore your customers problem. Your response faces it head on, acknowledging mistakes were made. Think maximum empathy and zero excuse making.

CASE #4: How to Make Your Customers Feel Valued

Review

They sent products expiring — 8 months left out of 24. They refused to return the money.

Response from the owner

Hello! 8 months is not an expiry date for cosmetics. From the day the package is opened, the product can be used for 6 months. In fact, with regular use the cosmetics last for 3–3.5 months.

The term of 8 months exceeds the time you need to use the cosmetics by 2.5 times.

Review

Messed up my girlfriend’s crown… 3 times. Cut-rate, trendy dentist shop. Never returning. Beware, completely incompetent. Plus the hip chairs in the waiting room are uncomfortable.

Response from the owner

I am sorry to hear about your girlfriend’s crown. I don’t know how or what happened to your girlfriend’s crown, but mistakes happen and we are always here to fix it. I feel awful about your girlfriend’s experience. I assure you, there is no one on our team that is “incompetent”, in fact we have an incredible team on board of certified, highly trained doctors. Please let your girlfriend know we are happy to help her in the future, and her crown will be guaranteed by me personally.

As for “hip” chair in the waiting room, I made it myself. I know it can be uncomfortable on some. We have 3 different types of seating to accommodate people of different shapes and sizes. I hope the big cushioned chairs can accommodate next time, and if not, you will like the big couch at our North office on Research Blvd.

Feel free to contact me at anytime,

Robin ***

Owner *email*

Review

I was a huge fan of your yogurts (in fact, I would routinely talk people out of buying other brands while we were chatting in the store!) but now it seems to taste almost rancid. The sour taste is almost overwhelming! It didn’t used to taste like that during the fall. And it’s fresh (expires next month).

Response from the owner

On no! It sounds like one of our cups slipped past quality control. Would you mind private messaging us the complete code on top of the lid and your address so we can investigate this and make things right for you?

Review

Horrible stay…

I wanted to enjoy my stay here. I really did. However, the hotel was a disappointment from the moment we arrived. One of the elevators in the lobby wasn’t working, so we had to wait forever to get upstairs with all our luggage. Then, there weren’t enough towels in the room, and our coffee at breakfast wasn’t even warm.

Response from the owner

Dear Jenny,

First, I want to thank you for your feedback. While I wish, you had a better experience, it is feedback like this that we learn from and use to improve. We work hard to deliver an exceptional guest experience, and it’s apparent in this case, we fell short. At the time you were staying with us, one of our elevators was out of service for routine maintenance. For the inconvenience, it caused, I am sorry. The safety of our guests is a priority and such a service is an unavoidable necessity that should have been better explained. If you give us a chance to earn back your trust, I can assure you that your breakfast will be on time and your towels will be plentiful. I would be happy to make your reservation personally and see to it that you enjoy the experience that so many of our guests have grown so fond of.

All the best,

Sam Jones, General Manager

Believe it or not, there can be a lot of positive side effects to receiving negative product reviews. Bad reviews make good reviews look better. One of the best side effects of negative reviews is the positive light they shine on good reviews. When a business shows all of their reviews, it demonstrates they have nothing to hide. Negative reviews are good for your brand because they show potential customers that all of your reviews are real.

There exists one ideal method on how to deal with all kinds of negative reviews. It is easy to follow and anyone can answer negative feedback using this scheme. But remember, a review is a personal thing which needs an individual response.

So, here it is,

How to respond to a negative review in 5 steps:

Step 1: Apologise and sympathise in your response to the negative review.

Acknowledge the customer’s concerns. Even if they are unfounded, show sympathy that they had a bad experience: “I’m sorry to hear about your bad experience.”

Try to share the consumer’s disappointment and let them know that you appreciate their opinion and will do your very best to resolve their problem. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes.

Moreover, I would recommend responding to the review a second time after the problem has been solved — which in turn will show evidence to your clients that you actually care about the service provided. If feedback was left on a social media page, you could also attempt to contact the customer directly.

IMPORTANT: Never publish a response when you are in a flush of emotion over a bad review. Instead take a short break, calm down and try to be as polite as possible in your reply.

Step 2: Encourage your customers.

If you have received a detailed constructive review from a customer, especially a loyal one, try to show them your gratitude for their feedback and in some situations, a refund may be appropriate. For other cases — you could provide your consumers with a discount for future purchases, or even a small gift or bonus. This will improve your brand loyalty and inspire your clients to leave a positive feedback.

Step 3: Move the conversation offline.

Provide contact information for someone at the business so they can discuss the problem in person. “My name is [name] and I am the [Owner / Manager]. If you’d like to discuss this further, please contact me at [phone number / email] or leave your contact details”.

Step 4: Keep your response simple, short and sweet.

Don’t go into too much detail or ask any questions. This will prevent writing something that might cause the upset customer to add more negative feedback by replying to the review. Three sentences for your whole reply is a good rule of thumb.

Important: Don’t include the business name or relevant search keywords.You don’t want this review showing up in search results!

Step 5: Always sign with your name.

Signing responses to reviews with your name establishes a personal connection and shows that a real person is taking accountability for any issues.

Managing Positive Reviews

Responding to positive reviews is just as important as responding to negative reviews. However, many businesses wonder why. Why respond to a good review?

If a good customer leaves a glowing five-star review, it can’t get any better than that, right? Actually, it can. Responding to a positive review is an easy way to engage with happy customers that benefits both your brand identity, and your one-to-one relationship with that customer. Remember, online reviews and review sites are public, so the positive conversations that happen about your brand here can do wonders for your business!

Here’s why you should always respond to a positive review:

• It’s the polite thing to do. If a customer gave you a compliment in real life, you would say thank you. It’s only polite. And with an online review, the compliment is public. So be extra nice!
• Everyone is looking. 82% of consumers now read online reviews (BrightLocal). The public, including potential future customers of your business, may read this review. Replying is a chance to speak to these people too, and do some subtle marketing.
• Actively creating, and engaging with, positive online conversations about your brand and the local community can encourage others to participate in that conversation, and generate more buzz and visibility for your business.
• It affects search rankings. By replying properly, you can improve the SEO ranking of the review, and help the review show up higher in search results for businesses.

Here are a couple of real reviews and examples I found. When you respond to a customer online, you can have the same impact as sharing a big smile or a warm hug with a customer in person.

Review

Fantastic hotel with excellent service staff, starting with welcome song, complimentary foot massage and personalised service from GM to executive chef. They deserve to be recognised as the staff are really warm as compared to other famous hotels.

Response from the owner

We’re so happy you enjoyed your stay with us! Thank you so much for the fantastic comments. We’ll make sure the team hear them all. Enjoy your time and Happy New Year!

Review

We checked out this morning after a wonderful 3 night stay. The surroundings are beautiful, the lodge is warm and luxurious, and the people really seal the deal. We won’t forget this special place.

Response from the owner

It was such a pleasure to meet you, and make your special trip that extra bit memorable. Enjoy the rest of your time.

Review

Delicious, sweet, just perfect. However, crowded …

Response from the owner

Thanks! On weekdays in the morning there are not a lot of people. Come and enjoy the atmosphere without the crowd.

Here is a short overview of how to respond to a positive review in 4 steps

Step 1: Thank the customer for the positive review and be specific.

Ensure the reviewer knows a real person is behind your reply by thanking them for something specific they said. “Thanks for leaving a review, and mentioning our barista Jodi. You’re right, she is always smiling!”

Step 2: Use the business name and keywords in your response to the good review.

Using the business name, category and location in your response will help the positive review appear in search results. “The team here at [Business Name] is thrilled to hear such good feedback, and we’re proud to be one of the cosiest [coffee shops] in [city name].”

Step 3: Add a little marketing to your review response.

Your reply is public and will be read by others, including future customers, so throw in some marketing! Mention a behind-the-scenes reason they had a great experience, or a new feature or promotion. “Did you know we just started a free coffee card?”

Step 4: Invite the customer to do something in your response.

Ask the customer to return, use another service or spread the word. “Next time you’re here, you should try the [insert product here]! We hope to see you again soon, and next time bring a friend!”

GOOGLE REVIEW RESPONSE NOTIFICATIONS

In case you didn’t know: customers are notified whenever a business responds to their online review on Google. They are sent email notifications containing a link to a page with the business owner’s response to the Google review. The business’ response is published immediately and the email notification is sent to the customer 5 minutes later. The 5-minute delay allows the business to edit or make any corrections to their response after initial submission.

Businesses will be notified of any new reviews that come in through their GMB notifications. However, it’s important to note that brands with over 100 locations don’t receive Google review alerts.