Every business loves feedback… till this “feedback” is not what they hope to hear.
I get it… we all love to be told our work is great, top-quality, top-notch, the best in the land (or the world even), and every other amazing thing I can think of.
But the truth is, there’ll be bad days. There’ll be days we’ll need to deal with difficult customers, and there’ll be negative reviews.
And if we’re keeping it real, no one likes getting a negative review. But as a business owner, it’s a part of the business you can’t wish away (unless you have NO CUSTOMERS). And one truth is, not every customer is going to have a perfect experience.
But here’s the thing – how you respond to a negative review can make all the difference. In this article, we’re going to take a look at a real-life case study of a business that received a negative review and show you how it turned it into a positive.
Meet Joe’s Pastries. Joe’s is a small Pastry shop in the heart of Lagos. They make delicious Cakes, Doughnuts, and Cupcakes, have friendly staff and are a big deal in the community. But one day, they received a negative review that read: @The Cupcakes were stale, and the service was terrible. I will never be back”. Well… Ouch.
At first, Joe, the owner of the Pastry shop, was upset. He couldn’t understand how someone could have a bad experience at his shop, after all, everyone in that location and its environs loved it.
But instead of getting defensive, he decided to take a closer look. He realized that on the night in question, they were short-staffed and had an inflow of customers all at once. As a result, the cupcakes may have taken a little longer to be reshuffled and the staff may have been a bit tired.
So, Joe decided to respond to the review in an interesting way.
He wrote: “We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t have a great experience at Joe’s Pastry shop. We pride ourselves on our delicious Cupcakes and friendly service. It sounds like on the night in question, we were short-staffed and got a bit overwhelmed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We would love the opportunity to make it right. Please reach out to us at 555-555-5555 and we will do our best to make it up to you.”
Now that’s how to respond to a negative review.
Joe acknowledged the customer’s concerns, took responsibility for any mistakes and offered to make things right. And, as a result, the customer reached out to Joe and they were able to make amends.
In fact, the customer even came back to Joe’s Pastry shop and left a positive review.
So, what can we learn from Joe’s Pastry shop? Here are a few tips on how to respond to negative reviews:
- Don’t take it personally. Remember, it’s not about you as an individual, it’s about your business.
- Acknowledge the customer’s concerns. Let them know you understand where they’re coming from.
- Take responsibility. If there was a mistake on your part, admit it.
- Offer to make it right. Give the customer a specific action you will take to correct the situation.
- Keep it professional, and polite, and do not get defensive.
Add a touch of humor if possible. It shows you’re human and can make the customer feel more at ease.
So, there you have it. Negative reviews are never fun, but with the right approach, you can turn them into positive ones. And remember, as Joe’s Pastry shop shows us, a little bit of humility and a willingness to make things right can go a long way.
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