Your Guide on How to Respond to Negative and Positive Reviews

Online reviews have shown to impact 67.7 percent of purchasing decisions, which is why us marketers place such a great emphasis on acquiring feedback. But, our responsibility doesn’t end with improving our star ratings. We must also be consistent in how we manage reviews by responding when appropriate and reporting inaccuracies if necessary. Also, you must keep in mind that it’s not enough to only acknowledge the complaints. Companies can build a better relationship and establish goodwill with their customers by responding to positive reinforcement.

Knowing what to say and how to say it is a challenge, given how many eyes are watching us online. Front Porch Solutions discusses how to respond to negative and positive reviews in an appropriate manner.

How to Respond to Negative and Positive Reviews

As with all digital communication, we must be professional, timely, and consistent in how we respond to both negative and positive reviews. Learn some of Front Porch Solutions’ best practices in our latest blog.

Responding to Negative Reviews

These four strategies will help you turn a negative situation into an opportunity to show off your dedication to customer service.

1. Assess the situation internally. Marketers commonly make the mistake of responding to negative reviews too quickly. It’s much better to take time and think the situation through than to provide an immediate response. After a negative review is published, meet with your team to come up with a strategy before responding.
2. Remain polite. Of course, it doesn’t feel good to have someone trash your brand online. But, above all else, you must remain respectful and show customers you’re willing to own up to your mistakes. Always be civil and keep your response directed towards the customer’s problem.
3. Offer an apology and your sympathy. Whether the customer is warranted in their complaints or not, you have to avoid jumping on the defense. A sincere apology and the ability to empathize with someone’s frustration goes a long way. This simple tactic validates the customer’s complaints and makes them feel valued.
4. Take the conversation offline. Once you publicly apologize, provide the customer with contact information, so they’re able to directly reach a member of your team, not a general service line. Not only does this limit the amount of dirty laundry the customer airs online, but it also proves to them you’re willing to go the extra mile to make things right.

Responding to Positive Reviews

You can impress an already satisfied customer even further by acknowledging and responding to their kind feedback. Refer to the following tips to help you craft the perfect response.

1. Be specific. When thanking the customer for their review, throw in a particular detail that relates to their comment. Perhaps they mentioned a specific employee that stood out or commented on a great deal you were running. Be sure to show that you took the time to appreciate their message.
2. Mention your store name and city. Responding to a positive review is an easy way to earn some extra SEO credit and help the review appear in search results. You can say something to the effect of “Thanks for visiting [BUSINESS NAME]! We take pride in being one of the best [BUSINESS INDUSTRY] in [CITY]!
3. Include a call-to-action. Customers who are pleased with their experience are typically willing (and excited) to take further action. Among your team, determine what goals are important and achievable through this means. It could be something as small as inviting them to bring a friend with them next time or more engaging such as booking another appointment.
4. Share the review on other social pages. Use this opportunity to promote your organization on your social channels. You could help convert followers who have expressed interest in you through their buyer’s journey.

Along with responding to your reviews, don’t hesitate to take things a step further and encourage more positive responses! A glowing review is extremely valuable to your business and can help boost your digital marketing presence in a number of ways. Get started by following our helpful guide on how to encourage more positive reviews.

Failing to respond to both negative and positive reviews is a missed opportunity! Your followers will appreciate you taking the time to answer their questions, work through their complaints, and appreciate their compliments. Front Porch Solutions is well-versed in helping clients maintain an active digital presence that leads to conversions. Contact our team to learn how we can help achieve visible results through our digital marketing strategies for your business.