How do I respond to a negative review?

Responding to a negative review can be a challenge for businesses, as it can have a negative impact on their online reputation. However, knowing how to manage these comments is crucial in order to maintain a positive image and to show potential customers that you are responsive and that you care about their satisfaction.

Why respond to a negative review?

Maintain a good reputation

Responding to a negative review is essential for managing online reputation and maintaining a good brand image. Indeed, with the advent of social networks, negative reviews and comments can spread quickly, thus damaging the reputation of an establishment or a company. A good e-reputation requires the accumulation of positive reviews. These are proof of a satisfactory customer experience that makes people talk about you, in a good way.

Minimize the impact on new customers

Bad reviews, negative reviews, and customer dissatisfaction can be found on various sites and platforms, such as Google Reviews, your Facebook page, and TripAdvisor. These customer reviews can have a significant impact on potential customers who consult them before making a purchase or visiting an establishment. Today, nearly 81% of customers who make a purchase consult customer reviews in advance. It is therefore essential to respond to negative feedback in a constructive and courteous manner.

Ask for a second chance

A professional response to a negative review shows the dissatisfied customer that their opinion is being taken into consideration. This shows that we care about their satisfaction and that we want to remedy the problem. An empathetic response to negative customer reviews can therefore be the starting point for asking for a second chance. The customer may then be required to modify his comment to improve his grade.

Increase its visibility and its drive-to-store

The algorithms of search engines for places, such as those of Google, TripAdvisor or TrustPilot, take into account customer reviews. They also focus on your responsiveness and on the changes in your customers' ratings. Responding to each bad comment therefore allows you to improve your visibility. This places you higher in the search results and increases the number of customers who visit your store.

Some examples of responses to recurring reviews

Each field of activity has a list of negative reviews that come up regularly. In order to demonstrate empathy and responsiveness, it is necessary to build a reliable response strategy. To do this, you need to develop a list of responses to the most common negative evaluations. Here is a list of recurring comments based on your industry.

Respond to a negative review by Catering

Welcome

Example:

Empathic response: “We are sorry to hear that your experience was not satisfactory. Your satisfaction is a priority for us and we take your feedback very seriously. We apologize for the welcome and the service you received. However, we look forward to another opportunity to serve you in the future.”

Table service

Example:

Appropriate response: “Hello [first name], we apologize for the slow service and the lack of water or good order. This is not normal for us and we want all of our customers to be happy. We will take your feedback into consideration and make improvements to make sure this doesn't happen again.”

Noise

Example:

Adapted answer: “Hello [first name], thank you for sharing your experience with us. I am sorry to hear that it did not live up to your expectations. Indeed, during busy evenings, the bar can quickly become noisy, and we strive to adjust the volume so that each customer can have a conversation without raising their voice too much. Unfortunately, that was not respected that day.”

Negative opinion in Hotels & Airbnb

Location

Example:

Adapted answer: “Hello [first name], we understand your disappointment with the remote location of the calanques. In addition, we regret that the public transport service did not meet your needs. Our staff is connected to the city's transport services and can call them for you. We will be happy to offer you a trip if you want to give us a second chance.”

Services and options

Example:

Personalized response: “Dear sir [first name]. We appreciate your feedback regarding your stay at our establishment. We apologize for the unsatisfactory service and performance, and please accept our sincere apologies. Please know that we strive to provide you with the highest quality service during your stays, which is why your feedback is very valuable to us.”

Cleanliness

Example:

Empathic response: “Thanks for sharing your experience. We are delighted that you enjoyed the quiet ambiance. Please know that we are sincerely sorry to notice your dissatisfaction with the general hygiene, the dirty sofa bed, and the smell of microwave cleaner. We take these issues seriously and will investigate promptly. Our teams are also aware of the lack of parking spaces and are working to improve them. Your comments are valuable to us and we hope to welcome you again in better conditions.”

Negative comment in Car rental

Booking

Example:

Empathic response: “We are very sorry for the inconvenience you have experienced. Your feedback highlights serious issues that do not meet our service standards in any way. We regret that the car was not ready at the agreed time. I am forwarding your comment to our customer service so that we can offer you a discount on your next reservation.”

Communication

Example:

Reassuring response for other customers: “We're sorry you had trouble reaching our call center. Your feedback is valuable and we thank you for letting us know about this issue. We will be putting more emphasis on our main toll-free phone line. If you want to contact us, do not hesitate to call us at [phone number]. We are also responsive on social networks if that is more convenient for you.”

Over-billing

Example:

Personalized response: “Hello [first name], first of all thank you for taking the time to write a review. I want to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. I will personally take care of better understanding what led to this additional billing. Can I ask you to contact our agency by email, telephone or by private message to give us the details of your reservation. Please know that we are doing everything we can to improve the transparency of our rates in order to avoid this type of situation in the future.”

How do you respond to a negative review with no comments?

Sometimes it's hard to respond to people who don't leave comments. However, a response to these opinions makes it possible to moderate the negativity they highlight. So, do not hesitate to comment on these opinions to improve your image.

• This sends a signal to your future customers that all reviews count.
• An answer also assures the platform (often Google Reviews) that you are active and that you pay attention to the reputation of the establishment.
• Finally, it also invites discussion in order to ask the customer what elements were the source of his dissatisfaction.

Example:

Adapted answer: “Hello [first name], thank you for taking the time to review our service. We are sorry that you left us a negative review. We would like to be able to help you and better understand the reasons why you left a 1/5 rating. Please feel free to reach out to us via one of our social media channels with any comments, concerns, or suggestions.”

Any tips for responding to negative customer reviews?

Here are some tips for effectively responding to bad reviews on online customer review platforms.

Don't be on the defensive

First, when you receive a negative review or feedback, it's important not to react defensively or aggressively. Always be courteous and professional, even if the customer seems unhappy. Take a step back to understand the problem and prepare a thoughtful response.

Thank the customer even if it's a negative review

When replying, start by thanking the customer for taking the time to leave a review. It shows that you value their feedback, whether positive or negative.

Prove your involvement

Show that you take their Google review seriously by specifically addressing the issues raised in their review. This could be due to poor service, a faulty product, or any other aspect of their experience that may have disappointed them. Remember that providing a quick response is also a sign of involvement.

Apologize and be empathetic

After identifying the issues, apologize for the customer's dissatisfaction. Be honest and show that you understand their frustration.

Show that you are going to solve their problem

Assure them that you will take steps to improve the situation and fix the problem.

Offer a solution

It is also important to offer a solution or compensation to rectify the mistakes made. This could be in the form of a refund, a product exchange, or a special offer for a future visit. It shows that you are ready to put in the effort to satisfy your customers and correct mistakes.

Be transparent

When you respond publicly, it's not just about the unhappy customer, it's about everyone who views the reviews and comments. You must therefore be transparent and professional. Even more so when it's a negative review.

Do not give out personal information

Avoid revealing personal information about the customer or criticizing them publicly. Keep in mind that other potential customers also rate how you deal with negative feedback.

How do I remove a negative review on Google?

Moderation is also important when it comes to deleting or responding to inappropriate or abusive comments. If a troll leaves comments that are unpleasant or inappropriate, it's best not to respond to them publicly. Simply remove these comments to avoid conflicts and maintain the positive mood on your page or account.

What types of negative reviews can be reported?

Reviews that do not reflect the customer's experience and offensive comments are generally not tolerated on review platforms. It is therefore very easy to have a defamatory comment removed. Here is a non-exhaustive list of reviews for which you can request removal:

• Fake content or those that do not reflect the lived experience.
• Spam (spam is a negative comment posted several times with no real motivation) left by trolls who want to harm your business.
• Off-topic content, whose content is not related to your offers or services.
• Comments urging on the sale or directing towards a competitor.
• Vulgar, defamatory or degrading content. Any content that specifically targets a person in the establishment.

How do I report an inappropriate comment to Google?

1. In terms of the review to be reported on your Google page, click on the 3 points.
2. Click “Report as Inappropriate.”
3. Easily follow the current process from your Google Business account by clicking “Check the status of a negative review I reported earlier.”
4. The report can then be marked pending decision, validated or refused.
5. In the event that the report is refused, you can appeal this decision by going to “Appeal eligible notifications.”

How to analyze negative reviews to improve the customer experience?

Distinguish each verified negative review

In order to properly analyze customer reviews, all reviews should be taken into account. However, verified reviews may gain more weight. These are a reflection of the experience of real customers.

Pay attention to the number of reviews

The number of reviews, whether negative or positive, is also a key indicator. If an establishment receives a lot of negative comments, it may be a reflection of a recurring problem or general customer dissatisfaction. In this case, it is necessary to respond quickly and constructively. The number of reviews is also an indicator that helps determine the reliability of the analysis. The higher the number of reviews, the more reliable the analysis is and should be taken into account.

Do not overlook specific opinions

The analysis of negative reviews should also take into consideration more specific comments left by customers. They can reveal specific problems encountered and thus highlight obstacles that you may not have thought of. They are all the more important as meeting a specific expectation often requires only a few minor improvements.

Reuse content from positive reviews

The analysis of positive reviews is sometimes omitted, however, they are a source of satisfaction and encouragement for your teams. Do not hesitate to use the content of a glowing comment to highlight what works well. Positive review content can easily be shared to attract new customers.

Ask yourself the review manager's question

Understanding and analyzing the content of each customer review can be time consuming and tedious. That's why review management platforms are useful. Do not hesitate to discover the personalized reports provided by our tool. We also automate the classification of reviews into broad categories to give you a better understanding of the customer experience. Find our customer feedback management tool from our website.

Conclusion

In summary, responding to a negative message requires patience, courtesy, and moderation. Take time to understand the problem, apologize, and offer a solution. By acting in a reactive and constructive manner, you can reduce the negative impact on sales and maintain a positive reputation for your business.