It happens to nearly every business sooner or later: a one-star Google review that trashes your company. A disgruntled customer who writes a long-winded, scathing tome about poor service or a defective product. An angry diatribe that advises people to avoid your business. It can feel like a personal attack, and you may worry that it will drive away potential customers, especially if you don’t have many Google reviews online to begin with.
Whether or not you think there’s a valid basis for the complaint, it’s important to respond promptly and in a professional manner. Do some digging about the issue the customer presented to see what might have gone wrong. Let’s say you discover that the customer was overcharged for a product or service, and was unable to resolve the billing issue with your staff. Apologize and let the person know you’re taking steps to prevent this from happening again. You may also consider offering a discount, a refund, or something else to make things right.
Depending on the complaint, it may be best if you ask the person to email you or call you personally to discuss the matter. Whether you address the person’s issue directly or invite a conversation, be respectful and empathic. How you respond matters not only to the individual who’s complaining, but to other readers.
Think about the reviews that you personally examine before buying something from Amazon. Chances are, even when there are hundreds of 5-star glowing reviews, there are bound to be 2 and 1-star reviews in the mix. You might even be somewhat suspicious if there are ONLY 5-star reviews and none that indicate dissatisfaction. However, if you think your business has gotten a review that is fake or inappropriate, you can contact Google and request its removal. Be aware though, that Google will only remove reviews that it considers to violate its policies. Just because you think a review is unfair is usually not a good enough reason for Google to take it down.
Finally, the best way to counteract negative reviews is to have many positive reviews from your satisfied patrons. Always invite your customers to review your product or service, and make it as easy as possible for them to do so. Some companies send texts or emails to their customers with links to the review site. But never – NEVER offer money, gifts, discounts, or other incentives for Google reviews, which is against Google policy and can result in all of your reviews to be removed.
If your business needs help addressing a bad review or creating a process to get more positive reviews the Ripple Effect Group can help! The Ripple Effect Group, REG, is a full service marketing agency located in Rocky Hill , Connecticut. Please reach out to us at help@TheRippleEffectGroup.com today to get started!
