Dealing With Negative Reviews Online

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
It's inevitable. Someone is going to have a problem with the way you do things. It really may not be your fault. After all, not even the best customer service team in the world can make everyone happy.

But what do you do if this grumpy customer decides to post a negative review of your business online?

Here are two strategies for damage control.

1. Reply...tactfully.  Do not, I repeat, DO NOT write what you actually think of the complainer's comments. Before you sit down to draft your response, feel free to punch a punching bag, strangle a bobble-head doll, or invent and shout numerous clever nicknames for this customer. Once that's out of your system, put your own spin on something simple like this: “Our business strives to provide superior quality products. Please call our office to discuss this situation.” You'll sound professional, you're not admitting or denying anything, and you've offered to discuss the matter with the complainer in a more appropriate forum. Bada-bing.
2. Encourage happy customers to post positive reviews. This isn't something you want to approach every client with. But if you have some loyal clients that you're close to, ask them to decorate the web with some positive feedback about your company. You can find relevant review sites and point your happy customers in the right direction.  (If you've got really great customers, you could even mention the idea of including a link to your website in these positive reviews for a mini SEO-boost.)  It's not a bad idea to do this before that unfortunate day when you find that someone has posted a less than thrilling review. Having plenty of positive reviews out there will make a negative one seem like less of a big deal.

By the way, don't forget that a negative review can be a learning experience if the customer has made a valid point. The reason the comment was posted was to communicate something about that client's experience with your company. Sure, it would have been cooler if the communication took place in less of a public way, but moving forward, you may be able to make some improvements that will lead to clients who have nothing but awesome things to say about you.