7 Reputation Management Tips To Help You Respond To Negative Reviews

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You’re probably already aware that your online reputation is essential. You might even be aware of what you need to do to maintain a favorable one. But have you ever read an angry comment and thought, “I don’t know how I’m going to respond?”

In this blog post, we’ll cover seven tips for responding professionally in times of crisis.

Take A Moment To Compose Yourself

While PT Barnum may have thought that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, many business owners might beg to disagree. When dealing with a negative review online, one of the first things you should do is take a moment to compose yourself. Not only will this reduce your blood pressure and get rid of some anxiety, taking a deep breath before responding allow you to think about the best, most professional, polite, and diplomatic response to the feedback.

Don’t Devalue The Customer Feedback

When a customer is unhappy or upset, it’s natural to want to minimize the negativity and offer them solutions. However, this might comes across as dismissive or condescending. An inadequate response to a negative review and can cause more damage than good. Our first tip for dealing with online reviews: don’t devalue the feedback left by clients. 

Instead, try to utilize the feedback as constructive criticism to improve and do better in the future.

Resist The Urge To Type The First Thing That Comes To Mind

As it relates to most things in life, it’s the things you don’t say (or type) that help you speak for yourself. Resist the urge to type the first thing that comes to mind. Instead, think about and focus on how you approach the issue to maintain a solid reputation. Always avoid responding with hostility or sarcasm since it in your best interest.

You may also want to avoid phrases like “we apologize for any inconvenience” if a customer complains about a lack of availability.

It’s always best to maintain your composure and professionalism when communicating with an unhappy customer, even if they’re rude or abrasive. Even the best of us sometimes have a bad day. 

Consider Reaching Out In Person

Another professional way to handle a bad review is by avoiding the keyboard altogether at first. If you know who the customer is and contact them offline, consider doing so if you have the proper demeanor. Doing so helps bridge the gap and take proactive steps to mediate or resolve the issue promptly and professionally.  

Regularly Ask Your Customers For Reviews

Another way to offset or balance negative online reviews is by getting more positive reviews from your happy customers. As you might imagine, the periodic negative review gets outweighed by positive ones. No matter what, never ask for fake reviews!

Respond To All Reviews Promptly

Whether you get reviewed on Google, Facebook, or another site, replying to reviews as quickly as possible is a best practice. Be sure to thank anyone who leaves a positive review and deal with negative feedback with finesse.

Use An Online Reputation Management Tool

A streamlined solution to manage your online reputation is by using a reputable tool like our company offers. Using our software, business owners can monitor all of their online reviews – good or bad. You never have to let a review go unnoticed or left without a reply.

Are you interested in learning how your online reputation is doing? Claim your free Business Toolkit to get valuable insights! 

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