Responding to negative reviews online
Online reviews are an integral part of customer purchases as customers consider online reviews to be unbiased. Research suggests that most customers will conduct their research before making a purchase and are known to consider negative reviews. Although most businesses see negative reviews as bad publicity, they can also be an opportunity to showcase a business’s excellent customer service skills.
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are popular for customer reviews. Additionally, private review websites like Revdex.com, Yelp, and TripAdvisor are also known to help both customers and businesses communicate more effectively. Here are some simple tactics that can help when handling negative feedback.
Respond as soon as possible – Avoid a rushed response and aim to replay to a customer preferably within a few hours. A quick response will build confidence and show the customer that the business can be trusted.
Leave a personal message – Generic messages will not calm a dissatisfied customer. Instead, leave a personal message that informs the customer that you are looking into their complaint.
Apologize – The simplest way to calm a customer is to apologize and empathize with their situation. Offer a direct contact number to a customer service representative who is briefed and able to handle the complaint.
Compensation – If a customer is addressing a legitimate issue, the business must look at ways to compensate them. Offering a discount, a refund, or redoing a service can improve the customer’s relationship with the business.
Revdex is an online business directory. Revdex’s aim is to improve the connection between consumers and businesses. They provide the customers with an opportunity to browse and post negative complaints and reviews about businesses and they make it easier for their voice to be heard by the companies.
For example you can file complaint against mobile provider or file complaint about travel services.