5 Rules for Responding to Negative Reviews

There’s nothing worse than receiving a negative review when you own an eCommerce store. This is because, as humans, we’re not naturally built to accept criticism, and we will do anything to avoid negative feedback. Here’s the thing: if your store is online long enough, you WILL experience at least one negative review at some point, so you need to know how to handle it. Instead of trying to dodge the inevitable, you need to know what to do when you receive a negative review. In this blog post, we’ll list some rules to follow that will help you with responding to negative reviews.

Responding to Negative Reviews Like a Pro

1. Don’t Delete the Negative Review

Don’t try to cover up negative reviews. While it’s easy to simply click the delete button, it makes it seem that your business has something to hide. If other customers get wind of you deleting negative reviews, it can very well rub them the wrong way, and they may be hesitant to make future purchases. Businesses delete negative reviews in an attempt to protect their image, but they are hurting their business by doing so. It’s always better to deal with negativity upfront than to run away from it.

2. Respond Promptly

Time is of the essence. Don’t sluggishly reply to negative reviews. You should focus on responding to negative reviews within 24 hours. This will show that you’re responsive and are on the job.

3. Be Professional When Responding to Negative Reviews

After receiving a negative review, your first instinct may be to retaliate with an angry reply. But that’s the worst thing to do when you’re responding to negative reviews. Even if the reviewer is lying through his teeth, an angry reply only makes you look bad, and when you have an online business, perception really is key. Avoid an argumentative tone, use calm language, and contemplate whether any of the points made in the negative review are legitimate.

4. Take Responsibility for Any Mistakes That Were Made

Your business isn’t perfect, so mistakes can be made. If the reviewer points out a mistake that your business made, you should acknowledge that mistake. When responding to negative reviews, admit that you made a mistake. This will show that you are responsive and that you are honest. Honest companies gain respect, even when they make mistakes. The key is to understand the issue from the customer’s point of view and to do that, you need empathy. Pretend that you are in your customer’s shoes, and imagine how it would feel. This will allow you to give more genuine and thoughtful responses.

5. Offer Solutions

Responding to negative reviews with stock answers show that you don’t really care about the review. Give real, unique responses to each review. And in your response, offer solutions. Apologize if you must, and offer to fix whatever problem the customer is having with your product. If your customer has received a faulty product, offer to replace it. If a customer had a problem with your customer service, offer a discount code. Customers will be quick to forgive your company if you offer something valuable in return. This will show how much you care about your customers, which is important if you want to project a good image for your company.

Conclusion

The purpose of this blog post is to show that a negative review doesn’t mean that the sky is falling. Following these rules will allow you to turn negativity into positivity. You can turn a negative review into new business. Prospective customers will gain respect for your business, and the negative reviewer may see your business in a totally different light.

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