So your local business got a negative review. What are you going to do?

If you are thinking of just ignoring it and letting it blow over “the next news cycle” until a new problem comes along, you are definitely going to suffer the consequences of that inaction. This is because Google does not let things slide. Its crawlers do not forget things that have already been posted on the Internet, so unless that comment or review has been taken down, you cannot just ignore it. On the other hand, people, especially those frequenting reviews and social media accounts of local businesses, will notice if a comment has been removed. They are that keen when it comes to following local businesses.

Be quick
Customers these days have this expectation that things should be done instantly, es1pecially if happening online. So, you don’t really have the luxury of just sitting the entire matter out until hopefully, people forget. Finally, they will expect you to understand their concerns, so rude replies will reflect badly on your reputation that has already been tarnished by that negative review.

The faster the manager responds to a negative online review, the faster the reviewer is appeased and prospective reviewers can see that the manager and the firm are dedicated to solving customer complaints in a timely fashion.
(Via: https://hbr.org/2020/05/5-principles-for-responding-to-customer-reviews)

Be a pro
Hold that temper! Yes, negative reviews sting bad, especially for local business owners like you who more or less assume all roles for your company to run. But getting angry at those negative reviews will not really go change anything. If you react badly, people in your network will most likely get wind of your reaction and will earn you an unfavorable reputation. Remember that your business caters to a small audience – a local community, so news tends to spread at lightning speed. Be a professional about the review.

Don’t ever go berserk over a negative review. Or else, you will lose everything your small business has established. Using fire against fire does not always have the best results. It will be unwise to do that. Sit back, try to relax as much as you can, and take a deep breath to process what you just read. That’s how a smart business owner or an online reputation manager acts.
(Via: https://www.meegle.com/blog/how-to-respond-to-negative-reviews/)

Consider getting in touch with the negative reviewer offline
There are some issues that are best handled on the same platform. But in a majority of cases, an offline manner of handling the issue has proven to be more effective. After all, to cite an old adage, washing one’s dirty laundry in public is almost never a good idea.

Sometimes a minor issue can be resolved with a quick phone call or email. If you have the ability to do this and you feel that reaching out to this person directly will be the best approach, go for it. It all depends on how comfortable you are with this approach, how well you can take a tongue lashing without getting angry, and how good of a rapport you have with the reviewer.
(Via: https://www.outboundengine.com/blog/how-to-handle-a-bad-online-review-the-right-way/)

 

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So your local business got a negative review. What are you going to do? was originally published on ASGM Blog

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