Most businesses utilize customer reviews. Customers may be able to leave reviews and ratings of a business’s products/services via several methods. For example, some businesses display reviews on their product pages. Others may share reviews on their website homepage, or even have a dedicated testimonial page.
Regardless, customer reviews can be a fantastic marketing tool. But what about negative reviews? What do you do if a customer leaves a damaging review? Could you turn this negative review into something positive for your business? We take a look at this subject below.
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Yes, but you have to use these reviews in the correct manner
A negative customer review certainly doesn’t look good when you see it. It casts aspersions on the quality and reliability of your business and its products/services. However, this can be turned to your advantage as shown in the four steps below.
1. Negative reviews can boost customer trust
One of the simplest things you can do is to listen to the negative review and act on it. If a customer reports something wrong with your product, don’t dismiss it. Look at their complaint and aim to resolve it. The quicker you can do this, the better your business will ultimately look.
If a customer knows that their complaint has been addressed, they are far more likely to trust your business and use you again. Acting on negative reviews also shows to other potential customers that you value them and that you can be trusted. Once you have resolved issues, you could always ask the customer to post a new review on your site or third-party sites like TrustPilot.
2. They can also show your integrity and devotion to your customers
Customers like to know that they are valued. Many businesses simply make the mistake of dismissing their customers and ignoring negative reviews. This can have a damaging impact on their reputation.
However, if you take the time to respond to customer complaints, this will eventually boost your integrity. Customers will see that you care and that their opinion matters.
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3. Negative reviews can also boost your customer service rep
People often choose different businesses because they are known to provide excellent customer support. Whilst customer support may not seem like something that is tangible, it is fantastic for the reputation of your business.
If you address negative reviews and respond to your customers in a timely manner, you can greatly boost the reputation of your customer service. You will be known as a business that is willing to listen to its customers – this is something that is often missing in today’s modern world of business.
4. They can also help you improve your products and sales
Ultimately, negative reviews can also help you improve your products and/or services. If you receive a consistent stream of negative reviews all with the same problem, you know that something is wrong. Don’t simply dismiss these reviews.
Look at them and see if there are any genuine changes you can make to your product or service to make it better. For example, customers may suggest that you could incorporate a logo or graphics into your product (You can use tools like LogoCreator to do this). Whilst the initial backlash may not be great, in the long term, you can greatly improve your product quality.
While negative reviews are generally not welcomed, they do have their uses. If your business strives for continual improvement, negative reviews are a great way to achieve this. You can use reviews to analyse the shortcomings of your products and make adjustments. Also, you can use them to boost your customer service reputation and give customers a favorable experience.
This article was written by Kristopher Walsh
Kristopher Walsh feels everyone should be able to understand how money works. So in his spare time, he moonlights as a freelance writer with a background in sales. He enjoys cooking on the low.
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