Are you looking for that company with ALL 5 Star Reviews…well DON’T!
Have you every had that one family member you cannot please, or have you ever forgot a task your wife/husband asked you to do? I am sure you answered yes to these questions.
The same issues happen in a business. No matter how hard anyone tries, not every transaction can go 100% and sometimes that is just an issue beyond anyone’s control. We have had a machine break down or even the interstate being shut down due to an accident and no matter, the customer is quick to write a bad review.
As a company it is how you handle the situation and the customer. Always, reply to the review, be professional, and state how you tried to fix the issue. Make sure you are honest and polite even if the review is harsh and rude. How you handle the situation is a reflection on you and your company.
There is nothing wrong with reaching out to the customer and saying “Ms. Jones, we understand we were late, and it was beyond our control, and you left us less than a 5 Star Review. We gave you a $50 credit on your invoice. Could you please change your review? We are not asking for 5 Stars; we are just asking you to be fair.” Let the customer hear your side. Maybe the 1 Star will now go to a 3 Star and that is ok. Remember no one is perfect.
Customers are just looking for an HONEST company. If a company has all positive and no negative reviews, something is wrong. 68% of people are more likely to trust you if you have both negative and positive reviews. People who seek out bad reviews stay much longer on your site than normal visitors, and view almost four times as many pages. 95% of people suspect censorship or faked reviews when they do not see negative reviews.
This is the same for Employment websites. If an employee’s demands are not met, and they quit, or are terminated, they can post a review. Yes, you want to respond however, be careful. The employee is looking for a reaction. How you react could go against you with an Unemployment Claim, the Labor Board, or even worse, a lawsuit. State the facts in the response and be professional.
It is how we react and respond to the situation that counts. Use the negative reviews as a learning tool. How can we improve, what could we have done differently, and how are we going to change going forward? Just remember we are all human and we make mistakes. No one person or company is perfect.
