Fixing a bad Google review isn’t tough. The best way is to respond as soon as you can. Fail to do so, and negative reviews might get associated with your brand.
Follow the below steps to convert negative reviews into positive ones.
Address The Reviewer
Your customers want you to address them personally. Since the review is on Google, you can usually see the reviewer’s name on it.
Try to avoid generic greeting such as “dear customer” or “dear sir” and use words like “dear [first name]”.
Here’s how a company owner responded to their customer who was frustrated because of appointment rescheduling. They started with “Dear [customer name]” and then went on to solve the problem.
By following this approach, you can make your customers feel that you care about them.
Appreciate The Customer
It’s important to show your customers that you appreciate them for leaving feedback and honest review. Always remember to say thank you to people leaving reviews on your business. As a token of appreciation, businesses can embed Google Reviews on website for free to make an impact on their potential customers.
Even if you think that the customer is not right, start with appreciating the customer.
Here are a few things you can say:
- Thank you [first name] for your honest feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience with us, but we really appreciate you bringing this issue to our attention.
- Thank you [first name] for bringing this issue to our attention. We strive to deliver the best possible experience for our customers. We’re looking forward to resolving this issue as soon as possible.
- Thank you [first name] for letting us know about your experience with us. We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t like our service, we will try to make this better.
- Hey [first name], thanks for taking out your time for writing a review. Let us know your issue and we will get fixed asap.
These appreciation notes look honest and express gratitude.
Someone had a bad stay experience and this is how the hotel owner responded to the review. They started with Dear [reviewer’s name] and appreciated the customer for leaving feedback.
Apologize
An apology helps you appease the customer. It also shows the customer that you are not too proud to accept your mistakes (even when it’s not your fault).
These examples show different ways to apologize.
- We’re sorry that you had to go through this despite our aim to offer the best possible service to our customers.
- We apologize that our services didn’t meet your expectations. This is on us.
- Your happiness and satisfaction is our #1 priority. We’re sorry that it was not met in your last interaction with our business.
- We regret the inconvenience caused. Please note that it was never intentional from our end. We want to extend an apology to you.
These apologies look sincere, are on point, and demonstrates that you care about providing a high-quality service to your customers.
While responding to a customer who had a bad dining experience, the owner seems genuinely sorry and accepts that it could’ve been better. Also, the respondent asks for a second chance to deliver a better experience.
Provide an Explanation, If Necessary
In most cases, appreciation and apology are more than enough to address a bad Google review. However, in some cases, you will need to explain to clear the misunderstanding (if any).
While the explanation depends mainly on the customer’s issue and the services you offer, here are some great examples.
- I understand that there has been a mistake from our side. Your order was to be delivered yesterday, but there has been a delay in the dispatch of the shipping. Since our tracking systems were on maintenance, we were unable to update you about the delay. I have spoken to my delivery manager, and your order will be delivered by 18:00 hrs, at the latest.
- We take great care while packing foods, and we make sure that it gets delivered to the right person. However, our delivery boy seems to have exchanged your order with someone else. We’re actively working on resolving the issue.
A simple explanation can help you build trust with your customers.
Someone had a bad experience at the dentist. Here’s how the dentist responded. They started by apologizing for the bad experience and went on to explain that the chair can be uncomfortable on some. Also, the respondent said, “her crown will be guaranteed by me personally in the future”.
Solve The Issue (Promptly)
Once you have apologized to the customer and have provided the explanation, it’s time to make it up to them. This will help you convert the negative review into a positive one.
For customers, a bad experience has cost them time or money, and no one likes to waste either.
Try to solve the problem in the best possible way. Please try to take the issue offline. In-person or on the phone, you will able to resolve the customer’s concerns better and reach a resolution.
You can say, “Please email us at [your email id] or give us a call on [phone number]. This will help us resolve your issue at the earliest.”
Also, be willing to go one step above an apology and explanation. What about 20% credit on their next purchase? Or a priority service?
This will not only help you fix a bad review, but it will also encourage them to engage with your business again.
Wrapping Up
Online reviews have the potential to influence what people think about your business. Your reputation is not shaped only by what you say about your services, but it also depends largely on what your customers say about you.
Start by addressing the reviewer individually, appreciate the customer for taking out time to write a review, apologize to them for a bad experience, and provide an explanation (whenever necessary). Also, try to solve the matter at the earliest and give them a reason to come back.
