Reviews…We rely on them a lot.
Consider the last time you purchased a product, tried a new restaurant or applied for a job. If you did any of these, chances are you took into account a few reviews of the company you interacted with or were interested in. They can be both the best and worst thing a customer can do for a company, impacting both present and future customers positively or negatively.
There are just some things we can’t control on social media, and one of those things are negative reviews. For small businesses, there’s nothing worse than a negative review to halt any progress you were making on social media.
Not only do negative reviews and comments leave a black eye on your page, but they are viewable to all users that visit your page. And what’s move convincing than a customer review, right?
So, what happens when someone leaves a negative review? Let’s walk through it.
Respond
The first and most important thing you should do is respond. This is important for a few reasons. First, it shows both the user and future users that you care about customer service and the customer experience. Secondly, it show’s you value the medium, acknowledging your Facebook presence matters.
Not responding in the hopes others will disregard the review is nothing more than wishful thinking, no matter how absurd the person or issue. Reviews matter to people. This is also why it’s important to respond directly to the comment first. Responding publicly shows the rest of the world you indeed responded and didn’t ignore the message.
Consider The Facts
Secondly, it’s important to maintain a patient and positive attitude. Always consider the consequences of your actions and be sure to act with the intention of helping the customer rather than immediately going on the defense. Many times negative reviews are the result of miscommunication or a minor mishap. Before you respond consider the possibility the customer may be correct.
If the matter is not simply taken care of after a few back and forth comments, it’s worth going right to the source and direct messaging he or she to either continue the conversation or offer them a future discount or refund. If this then resolves the conflict it’s also worth asking the user to remove the poor review, which they may be more than happy to do.
Be Proactive
For some business, reviews from real people aren’t necessarily the problem. For many, fake reviews and spam are a real issue they have to deal with. Luckily, Facebook is here to help. By reporting a spam review to them, Facebook can delete a post that has no real basis. Additionally, banning can also be an option if the situation calls for it. As the page manger you have the ability of banning someone from the page if someone makes a poor review just because they wanted too.
Just in case you’re not able to respond or address the underlying issue, or can’t rid your page of the negative comments, you can request that people leave positive reviews. Requesting reviews from previous clients can help combat negative reviews through sheer volume of positive ones. There’s no shame in asking someone you served to leave their thoughts, as long as you know they’ll leave a positive message.
Reviews are a great thing, and even the negative ones allow us to receive feedback that can help us better business. Next time someone leaves a negative review, consider how you can improve and better from it. Facebook is a place for exposure and obtaining leads. By handling an issue publicly you may get some new fans and maybe land a few new leads.
And, if you’re looking to grow your Facebook presence, we have a few ideas for you. Be sure to check out our latest Facebook guide to help you succeed on the most used social network and get the most out of your time online.
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