7 keys to responding to negative reviews
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- Written by Stephanie Haami, The Motel Guru
They have become essential tools for many travellers who are increasingly using them to choose where to stay and what to do and then sharing their personal customer experiences online.
This is exciting news as it provides a wonderful marketing leveraging opportunity. For many though the first thought is one of concern and panic around potential negative reviews. It's important to know what guests are saying and to have a strategy to respond to all reviews – especially the negative ones.
1 Respond promptly
Good or bad – always respond! You may be very surprised that people don't expect 100 per cent glowing reports. People know that 'things happen' – it is how you respond that counts.
See every review as an opportunity to improve and be grateful for it. Respond to all reviews using a courteous tone and keeping professional.
2 Avoid using jargon
Stay factual.
If someone has bothered to take the time to give feedback – appreciate it!
The use of ALL CAPS, HTML tags or excessive typographic symbols, can appear abrasive.
3 Apologise
If an apology is due – give it willingly. Let them know you are sorry for their negative experience and, very importantly, what you have done to ensure that it does not happen again.
A 2007 study by the British Standards Institute shows that when slip-ups occur and customers complain, 35 per cent remain loyal if they get an apology.
Most people realise that not all customers raise reasonable concerns, and things cannot be perfect all the time. They will give you a lot of credit for offering a courteous and thoughtful explanation and even more kudos for pro-actively acting on the feedback.
4 Highlight changes
It is important to highlight the changes you have made – it reassures future potential customers that they will not have to worry about the same thing. Share the steps you have taken and request their feedback on the improvements the next time they stay. It invites them back and shows them you do not harbour grudges – instead it shows an attitude of gratitude and a positive spirit of continuous improvement.
5 Be mindful of privacy
Your responses should never contain the personal information of any person, including names, addresses, phone numbers or other information that may be used to identify an individual.
6 Show appreciation
As mentioned above, make sure you thank them for their constructive feedback, acknowledging that the honest input of clients is the best and quickest way to improve.
7 Focus on the long term, big picture
If a review is unfair, even perhaps an outright lie, remember that information on the web stays there forever. Maintain a long term view and keep the big picture in perspective.
Still respond politely, state that you were not able to verify their claim but will be keeping an eye on it to ensure current and future clients have a positive experience.
Some review websites will take down some comments should you make a reasonable request.
Following these steps can help you maintain a positive reputation online.
Remember that, while you may be responding to one reviewer, lots of others may read your comments and form opinions about you and your brand.
To help build positive feedback ask happy customers for reviews. This could then lead into asking for referrals and testimonials. A topic for another day...
