How to handle negative comments about your business

As in any career, you’ll experience some bad amongst a lot of good – including negative reviews or poor feedback in person or on social media. However, negative comments don’t always have to be the marketing nightmare that many assume them to be. When handled well, they can even become a marketing opportunity. How you respond to negative reviews can be the determining factor in whether you win a returning client or earn a bad reputation for your business.

“It is always important to be open and honest with customers,” advises Katrina Ross, head of marketing & communications at Lecenté. “If you receive a genuine concern, it is always best to address it rather than ignore it. You can turn a negative into a positive with the right response.”

Whether in person, on Yelp, Google, Facebook or your email inbox, there is no pleasing everyone. “It is important to accept that no matter how good you and your business are, you can always get a client who will be dissatisfied,” comments Lisa Stone, Salon System educator. “You can only learn from what happened and do your best to recover the relationship with that client.”

Experts provide their top tips for preventing & handling negativity:

1.Consultation is key

“I always try to avoid complaints in the first place; I carry out a full and thorough consultation prior to every service to build and instant rapport with the clients and gain an understanding of their needs, as well as how to manage their expectations,” comments Lisa Stone. :By conducting a consultation, you will be able to identify any contraindications and issues that could cause detrimental effects.”

2. Be empathetic

“I keep calm and professional, then I deal with the complaint and put it right if it’s my fault,” says Lisa Stone. “If it’s not my fault, I consider offering a good will gesture. I always apologise too; you may not be at fault but let them know you’re sorry that they’re unhappy. I reassure the client that their issue is important to me and I will ensure to learn from the complaint by looking for a solution to prevent it happening again in the future. I feel there is always a way to recover from a bad review if you respond kindly and express that you will do your best to make the client happy the next time.”

3. Investigate

“Be proactive in your response and investigate the review before responding,” adds beauty business expert, Liz McKeon. “If the negative review is justified, take responsibility for this and go overboard publicly in how you are going to rectify the matter. If this isn’t justified, again, just say how great you and your team are for having done your research. Always make sure you have plenty of positive reviews, so a single negative one doesn’t make too much impact.”

4. Set the tone

Unless the review was sent as an email, everyone on the internet has the opportunity to read it and your response. According to Pew Research Center, 83% of adults look at reviews before spending, meaning potential new clients will more than likely see a negative review and how you responded before they decide to come to you for a treatment. Therefore, the tone you take when responding to a review is paramount.

Take the time to read back over your response before you publish it to ensure future readers won’t take offense. “Always do your best to help a customer and if you do not agree with the review, then politely thank them for their feedback but advise them on how they might avoid the same thing from happening again,” suggests Katrina Ross of Lecenté.

It helps to imagine saying your response to the reviewer in person: how would you reply if the customer was standing right in front of you?”

5. Explain

Explaining what may have caused a sub-standard service can be an asset if done with care. For example, there may have been something going on behind the scenes that the customer was unaware of; clarification can turn a bad review into a simple misunderstanding. That said, don’t make excuses while explaining as this can appear like you don’t care about the customer’s concerns.

“I think the best way to handle a negative review is to simply thank the client for their comments and say that you will take them into consideration for the future,” says Tracy McGoogan, INK London educator for the north. “If you feel a negative review is unjustified or untrue, then reply politely and professionally with the facts surrounding the reasons for the review and invite the client to discuss further but never argue.

“It’s not always a negative review that’s damaging to businesses, but the way you respond to it speaks volumes about your company.”

6. Take it offline

If the original comment was posted on a public platform, such as Facebook, Google, Yelp or your website, then your first response should be similarly accessible, however it is then advisable to continue the conversation in private. Ilex Wood explains, “Respond with a comment such as:

‘Hello, I’m sorry you feel this way and that your treatment was less than perfect as we always strive to give our customers the best experience. We thank you for your review as we take all feedback into consideration. We would love to rectify the issue so you can leave us feeling positive. We will be in contact privately to discuss this, thank you for your time.’

“This then reassures the public reading the reviews – as a potential client will always look at negative reviews before they read the positives – that you are proactive and professional, and take the running of your business seriously.” This tactic also provides a bit of individual attention to the reviewer, showing them you truly want to address their concerns.

Initially responding to reviews is only the first step in the customer service journey. Always be sure to follow up through email, phone calls or in-person meetings to solidify a relationship with your customer and ensure that they return for your services.

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