Reputation management is all about being proactive. I'm always amazed at how many business owners are completely oblivious to the fact that they already have reviews of their business online, even if they've never set up an "account" for their business online.
Hundreds of review sites -- including popular ones like Angie's List, Yelp! (now owned by Yahoo/Bing/Microsoft), and Zagat (now owned by Google), as well as lesser known ones like Kudzu.com and Hotfrog.com -- allow customers to post reviews about local businesses.
If a local business isn't listed (most of them are), then users/reviewers can actually create the listing, and then write whatever they want.
The good news: 51% of the feedback is positive, vs. 36% negative (and 11% equally split) according to one poll. Take these as a pat on the back.
The bad news: that's still 36+ negative reviews out of every 100, more or less. You'll of course want to take steps to fix negative online reviews.
The silver lining: if you have negative reviews, most of the time they come with a number of silver linings. You can fix your online reputation, strengthen your business, and reconnect with customers that might have been lost otherwise.
1) They Point Out Flaws in Your Coverage
If you were a knight about to fight in a battle, wouldn't you want to know where the chinks in your armor were? If a customer has left a dissatisfied post, take heed, and see if you can't patch up your operation.
Example: Imagine reading the following in a review:
"As far as dentists go, he's alright. But my last dentist..."
It doesn't matter WHAT it is the last dentist did, it's something you're not doing and that you could be doing to ensure that your customers have a better experience. Fix it!
2) They Point Out Flaws in Your Service
If you took your car in for an oil change (that includes checking the regular systems in your car), occasionally the technician will come back and say something like, "Hey, your transmission fluid is getting low." At that point, you can do one of two things. Fix it, or ignore it. Fix it, and your car will keep running most likely for years to come. Ignore it, and eventually the whole thing breaks down.
The funny thing about reviews is that they take effort, and most people will only make the effort for really good, or really bad, service. If they're willing to take the time to write the review, then take it as a sign that they wish you'd improve (unless they use a lot of foul language, in which case you might really suck).
So if the reviews sound something like:
"This Chiropractor never even had me do what my former chiropractor did..."
"The wait-room smelled like..."
"The receptionist was completely off-putting and rude when she..."
Take it as an overall free check up to keep your business running smoothly for years to come and fix the problem! (And yes, sadly, sometimes the problem is your staff, not you!)
3) They Point Out Flaws in Your Delivery
Followup: it's crucial in sales, but also in most other businesses. If the customer feels that you don't care about them, they're not likely to come back, or recommend you to a friend. Sometimes the ball may get accidentally dropped somewhere along the way of managing a new customer. It's not that you did something wrong, but that you missed an opportunity to do something right! Here again is your chance to fix that.
4) They Give You A Chance To Make It Better
I said it above, and it bears repeating: The funny thing about reviews is that they take effort, and most people will only make the effort for really good, or really bad, service. Online reviews are much more public than ever before, whether they're negative or positive, but in many situations they're attached to an individual that you should both be able to identify, and also have contact information for.
Always reply to an negative online review in a positive, curteous manner. Don't be defensive. Remember, here the customer ALWAYS is right, even if you know they're in the wrong. Apologize for any misunderstanding or inconvenience, and then address the problem as best as you can.
Then, if you can determine who the customer is, contact them and let them know that you've addressed their negative review, and offer to make anything better. Give them a free product or service or a discount or something to let them know that you're sincere in your attempts to woo them back.
At best, you'll win them back and they'll be impressed with your diligence in seeking to please them, and at worst you've still done good damage control! Impress enough people, and your "Google Local SEO" score will continually raise.
Have you ever found negative online reviews of your business, and if so what did you do about it? Was it accurate? Was it a fluke? Share below!
