How to Prevent Negative Reviews Before They Happen
The internet has opened up a new world for businesses, giving people the opportunity to leave reviews about businesses they have had dealings with. These reviews can appear on social media, Google, and other platforms, having a major impact on your online reputation. Bad reviews are not the end of the world, though you should try and avoid them where possible to keep a stellar online reputation.
Studies have shown that more than ninety percent of consumers will avoid a business with negative reviews, while businesses risk loosing approximately twenty percent of their potential customers due to one negative review.
Unfortunately, no matter what business you own, or what industry you are in, you cannot keep all your customers happy all the time. Consumers want good service, a quality product, and reliable delivery. In fact, customers don't want to have to leave a bad review, so when it is given, it is often warranted. The most common complaints include order status, product availability, cancelling an order, and unsubscribing.
When a consumer voices their dissatisfaction with your business, they are going so to provide you with feedback, while making other consumers aware of the problem.
Customer service should be in the forefront of your mind in everything you do. When you focus on that throughout your business model, chances are you won't have to experience many negative reviews.
Try access your own services or shop in your own store. While you may think everything is working smoothly, when you put yourself in your customers shoes, you may find out something important. Regularly testing your company performance as a customer is the best way to identify problems your customers may experience, resolving them quickly and effectively.
Everyone slips up now and then, we are not perfect. In order to be prepared, you should ensure your business can be contacted easily. When you give customers the opportunity to speak to someone about the problems they are experiencing, they can vent their frustration directly, rather than on the internet.
Increase the lines of communication, ensuring customers can reach your business with ease. Don't only offer support via the phone, consider providing feedback forms, email support, along with a live chat feature on your website. This is the fastest way your customers can get answers to their questions and resolve any problems.
Further, be active on social media, providing an easy way for your customers to get in contact with you. Forty seven percent of consumers will use social media to complain about products and services, making it the best place to be responsive to your customers. The more opportunities your customers have to make direct contact with you, the more confidence they have in your business and are less likely to leave a negative review as their first step when unhappy.
Giving your customers an opportunity to contact you is one thing, but your response times also matter. A customer isn't going to wait forty eight hours for a reply from your business. Ninety five percent of unhappy customers will return to your business if you respond to their problems quickly.
Customer service is more than simply solving your customer's problem, it's about representing your brand in a positive way. If you send your customers a pre-generated response, they are not going to feel valued. Personal replies are the key here, ensuring your customer feels understood and appreciated.
Eliminating every negative review is an impossible task, but you can be proactive in order to prevent the risk of negative reviews before they happen. If you need help handling negative reviews or preventing them online, get in touch with Genie Crawl. We would love to help your business put its best foot forward.
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