However , there are some companies that are hesitant to respond to all reviews . If that ’ s you , here ’ s what you need to consider :
• Accuracy : Is the review spreading misinformation that needs to be refuted ?
• Opportunity : Does responding give you an opportunity to publicly share your stance on an important topic ? Will a response provide transparency for your audience ? Is this an opportunity to build a relationship with your audience ? Does it give you a chance to communicate a plan of action for resolution ?
• Risk : Will responding add unnecessary fuel to the fire ? Will a response appear defensive ? Or does the commenter just want to be heard and therefore a response will deescalate the situation ?
• Consistency : Are you only responding to positive reviews ? Are you responding at random ?
• Research : Carefully investigate the review . Don ’ t assume it ’ s true or false without digging in first .
• Language : Does the message or review use racist , derogatory or inappropriate language ? If yes , do not respond .
How to respond to negative reviews
If you ’ ve made the decision to respond to the reviews , here comes the hard part – handling the negativity . Consider the following best practices :
• Wait until tomorrow . Negative or false reviews will make you want to refute claims right away , which can appear defensive . Take a deep breath . Sleep on it . Just because a review is negative doesn ’ t mean it ’ s true . Most people understand feedback is perception , not necessarily fact .
• Don ’ t be defensive . No matter how unfair a review might be , readers will be turned off ( and side with the disgruntled employee ) if you act defensive .
• Say thank you . No matter the feedback , thank them for their comments . Even if you don ’ t agree with what was posted , feedback is valuable .
• Humanize your response . Don ’ t use a templated / stock response . Users reading your organization ’ s reviews will notice the pattern , and it ’ s important to respond genuinely and authentically .
• Sign it with a name . Another great way to humanize your response is by signing it from the CEO or a member of leadership / HR . Make sure the messaging matches their tone of voice and you ’ re responding with language they ’ d use in real life . This needs to be from a person , not a company robot .
• Show empathy . I get it – sometimes employees are just not a fit ; sometimes their feedback is way off base . Still , it ’ s important to show you truly care and are hearing the feedback . It ’ s okay to show empathy even if you don ’ t agree .
• Apologize if you need to . Whether it ’ s an error or miscommunication , accept blame if you are at fault . Keep the apology short and sincere .
• Address every part of the review . Don ’ t focus on one point ( usually the negative one ). Make sure every piece of feedback – positive and negative – gets addressed .
• Show a genuine desire to improve . Nobody expects a company to be perfect . What people care about is your commitment to learning and doing better .
The final word
Don ’ t forget the final , and most important part of the process – listening to the reviews . Glassdoor pages can serve as an opportunity for your company to receive feedback and grow . Dig into them , make changes and take action . Not all reviews need to be acted on – some are disgruntled employees airing their grievances . But the companies that take the relevant Glassdoor reviews to heart will come out on top . CLDA
Shannon Tucker is VP of Next PR .
This article was reprinted with permission from Ragan Communications
spring 2023 I customized logistics & delivery Magazine 61