Online reviews on websites such as Google, Yahoo, social media, etc, provide a way for people to express their point of view and experience with your business. 89% of shoppers consider reviews before making a purchase. Negative reviews can hamper your business as they can influence potential customers against your brand, it can break their trust, and make them hesitant to buy from you. According to a report, 94% of customers have avoided a business due to a negative rating, and 54% of customers will avoid a business with an average rating below stars. To tackle this problem before it turns into trouble for you, you must respond to these negative reviews professionally.
Even if the majority of reviews are positive, a few negative reviews can drain your energy and affect your business. One negative review can cost a business up to 30 customers. Negative reviews are also important, like positive reviews, because 60% of shoppers stated that they consider both before making a purchase, as they learn a lot from negative reviews about the brand and its products.
In this post, we’ll learn why responding to negative reviews is important and best practices for that, along with some examples!
Why Responding to Negative Reviews is Important?
Responding to negative reviews is very important because it shows your commitment to customer satisfaction. It also helps in managing your reputation. With proper planning, you can turn these reviews into positive ones. By acknowledging and providing a solution for it can help in building trust and authenticity. Responding to negative reviews is very important because
- Customer Care: Responding to negative feedback shows that you care about your customers’ experience and opinions. It ensures that you are interested in their opinion and are willing to respond.
- Trust: A professional response to negative feedback can positively influence the mindset of your users. It shows that companies take feedback seriously and helps in building trust in them.
- Opportunity for Improvement: Negative reviews highlight the areas of improvement. By addressing these issues and areas of improvement, you can enhance your services.
- SEO: Responding to such reviews can enhance your business’s online visibility and search engine ranking by creating fresh content related to your business.
- Solution: By responding to negative reviews, you can solve customer issues and provide a solution. It boosts customer loyalty.
- Influence: Potential customers read reviews before making a purchase. A well-crafted response can influence by showcasing your USP, commitment to user experience, etc. It helps in building a positive image of your business.
Best Practices For Responding to Negative Reviews
Here are some of how you can respond to negative reviews
- Timely Manner: According to a report, 53.3% of customers who have written a review expect a response in 7 days or less. This is very difficult if your staff is limited. With the review management system, you can set review alerts that notify you whenever a new review is written. It also helps in managing and monitoring your reviews.
- Ownership of Process: It is important to assign responsibility to the people in your organization who are directly involved in review management. Employees who monitor reviews and manage customer service should be held accountable. Plan an effective strategy by assigning responsibility to considered employees.
- Review Response Policy: If your business operates in multiple locations, you must execute a policy and strategy that caters to all platforms. It is important to create a strategy where you respond to every review.
- Personalized Response: Avoid generalised and ready-made responses. Acknowledge these reviews, show gratitude and empathy to them. Address their concerns and offer a solution. You can offer to take the conversation offline. You can add personalization in your response.
- Apologize: Always apologize for the inconvenience caused to the users. It shows you are concerned and genuinely upset that the customer’s experience was unpleasant.
How to Use Negative Reviews to Your Benefit
Negative reviews can be used to your advantage, such as
- Customer Interaction: You don’t always get the chance to connect with customers directly. Reviews help you know what customers think about you. It also provides an opportunity to enhance customer experience.
- Areas of Improvement: Negative reviews offer valuable insights. If you are dealing with various customers, analyzing data can provide valuable insights for better targeting.
- Transparency: Displaying negative reviews shows transparency in your business. It helps in building trust as you have nothing to hide. It also lets customers know that you value their reviews.
- Empathy: Sometimes reviews can be unjustified, but even then, you have to show empathy to users. It helps in building a strong and positive reputation for your business.
- Competition: When customers pinpoint complaints about your product. It gives you an opportunity for product upgradation and gives ideas for new things. It also helps in exploring new markets.
Negative reviews are inevitable, but if you tackle them effectively,y you can turn this negativity into an opportunity. Managing and monitoring your reviews by using an effective review management system can boost your business. If negative reviews are left unattended can affect your business deeply. Using review management tools such as Lumia 360’s review management system can help you in managing your reviews and enhance your online reputation. To know more about our services, email us at info@lumia360.com or call 514-668-5599.
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