How to Turn Negative Reviews on Social Media into a Positive Selling Feature for your Small Business
If there is one hot topic with our clients it’s, “What do we do about negative reviews on our social media?” At Chatter Marketing, we look at negative social media reviews as an opportunity. Allow us to explain…
It’s true. No one likes to find a negative review about their business on Facebook or customer review websites, but unless you're perfect, it will probably happen. So, when it occurs, how do you deal with it?
We live in a world where everybody has a voice. An opinion. And often times, those opinions can wreck havoc on our businesses. Your customers have the ability to talk, take pictures, interact with others, and create positive or negative buzz about their experiences with your business. And worst of all, it isn’t all necessarily true.
Take a look at Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, OpenTable, or any social media site and within seconds, you can read opinion after opinion about your business. Many are likely positive. So…how do you respond properly and turn a negative review into a positive selling opportunity?
Now that we’ve given you a few tips for how to handle a negative review, there is one area that we want to address separately. The DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE. (Insert horror film music!) Yep. We ALL have them. And, it’s no doubt that those unhappy, past employees will be one of the biggest thorns in your side on social media.
At Chatter Marketing, we deal with this sort of negative review for clients the most! So, what do you do when an employee has been fired or laid off—and they are upset? YOU RESPOND, of course.
Most of the time, these employees will go online and bash your business and give personal information about the inner workings of your organization. And it’s never pretty. But, don’t fret! Our advice to you is to respond in a positive way…
“We’re sorry Sally for your negative work experience with our organization. We assure you that hiring the best-of-the-best is of utmost concern for our organization. We wish you well in all your future endeavors.”
If the disgruntled employee continues the conversation with an argument. Don’t respond. Other customers reading reviews can sense anger (and sometimes crazy). It’s not your job to defend yourself. Just let it go after the first response. Your silence speaks volumes to the reader.
We would like to conclude by saying, don’t sweat the bad reviews. No one expects a business to be all roses and rainbows. If you receive a few bad review, simply make it right and show everybody that you care about your business and your customers. And, watch your reviews for consistency. If multiple people are commenting negatively about your business, you may need to take a closer look and address the concerns. Negative reviews may have a sting to them, but they can also provide valuable feedback you can use to build a better business.
Chatter Marketing, Inc. is a full-service advertising, marketing, branding, public relations, and social media agency located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Chatter Marketing team has been creating BUZZ, or “Chatter,” for small and medium-sized organizations since 2013. They use their expertise and strategic skill to identify the client’s most unique selling point(s) and give audiences...something to talk about.