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 .