7. Respond Smartly
Often-times, any response is a good response to a frustrated customer. Being acknowledged is important, but more effort is often required to resolve issues. No matter what the response format, always be apologetic( which is not the same as admitting guilt) and never be defensive. Own your role in creating the situation, outline how the issue has been resolved so that it can’ t happen again then offer an appropriate“ make good” to assuage the customer. Sometimes it’ s prudent to first ask them what you can do to make the situation better, as it may be less of a cost for you than your initial make good offer. Often times, frustrated customers just want to vent and be acknowledged and everything else is gravy.
Always research the person posting to evaluate the level of authenticity and potential impact based on their influence. The more angry and influential, the more important resolution becomes. We recommend the following methodology how to respond to negative reviews:
1. If the topic of the review is a one-off experience / situation, do not post publicly. Get a direct conversation going immediately and take it offline as quickly as possible. While the phone can be an effective communication tool, email threads are useful in documenting the conversation and resolution.
2. If the topic is a recurring theme, respond publicly, as the issue affects more than one person. Follow the best practices outlined above when responding publicly, as it will be highly visible and scrutinized. I recommend only having trained professionals respond to reviews.
While negative reviews have damaging potential, they also offer tremendous opportunity. According to research, a single unhappy customer is likely to tell five friends about their negative experience. Those who have their issues resolved are likely to tell ten friends about the resolution, which creates significant goodwill and doubles your effective reach. In the end, delighting customers is the single most effective ORM strategy, but the seven strategies outlined above will provide additional protection of your brand. For more information, please contact Anvil Media at www. anvilmedia. com or call 503.595.6050.