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Dealing With Negative Online Reviews
Don’t deal with negative online reviews as you would do with a bully: ie, don’t ever ignore them. Even if you feel the review is unfair, you should always respond to it in some way. And of course, sometimes the criticism will be fair and if so you should always be prepared to put your hands up, admit to it and fix the problem. Yes, there are always peculiar types out there who just want to cause trouble and damage a company’s reputation (trolls, anyone?), but whatever the facts of the case a proactive response is the best way to protect your online reputation.
After all, we’ve all seen how quickly negative stories can go viral. This means if you let things slide it could have a hugely negative impact.
Here, then, are some things to remember when you’re trying to cope with those negative reviews:
Fair Criticism: If a negative statement made about your products and services is in fact correct, then respond to the post publicly. Don’t be defensive or aggressive, but put your case across as honestly as you can and make sure you mention how you plan to address the situation – whether this is through replacing a faulty product or issuing a refund. If this conversation becomes more of a drawn-out public back-and-forth then this can begin to work to your detriment. It’s best in this case to make the conversation private and express your willingness to address any complaints via email, telephone or in person.
False Statements: If an online comment or claim made about you is simply not true or even malicious, you do have the right to ask for it to be removed from the hosting website (as long as you can prove it’s untrue). Do be aware though that this process can be time-consuming and is not always successful. You may simply want to consider correcting the post in the comment section, laying out your proof calmly and inviting and potential customer to question you on it further.
Don’t Try To Fake It: Some companies make the mistake of trying to bolster their online reputation or counteract criticism by creating fake accounts or ‘personas’ to support their position in forums, review sites or blogs. Don’t do this – it really isn’t worth it. You’re likely to be caught and this will do far more damage to your reputation then a few less-than-glowing posts on review sites. If you have familiarised yourself with online review sites then you will know yourself how easy it is to spot a fake poster.
Aside from all the above points, do remember that as with most things, prevention is better than cure. Make a lot of effort to encourage positive reviews by asking happy customers to leave good feedback on your site, on forums and so on. And of course, the easiest way to ensure you get more positive than negative reviews is to always strive to offer the best possible products and services you can. If you let your standards slide then you will quickly have more bad feedback than you are able to deal with, which could well spell disaster for your online reputation.