An interesting restaurant opened up near you a few months back and you finally have time to check it out. Curious about the menu, you whip out your phone and Google them. 

Oh. They have 3.4 stars? Maybe you don’t want to check them out.

Does this little scenario sound familiar? It’s something that almost everyone does nowadays – you’ve probably done it yourself. And it’s not just for restaurants, either. Would you hire a plumber or an electrician without looking at their reviews? What about going to a vet? Or a new hair salon?

As a society, this is just something that all of us have gotten used to doing. And the rule of thumb for most people is that if a business’s rating isn’t at least a four or higher, they move on to someone else. 

This is true regardless of how amazing the work you’re doing now is or how pretty or clever or cool your marketing is. People may see that fantastic new website or awesome ad and start to feel interested, but the moment they come across that subpar rating, it’s game over most of the time.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that a bad rating doesn’t have to be forever. What should you do if a few negative reviews have pushed you below the 4+ rating threshold?

How to Deal with Negative Reviews That Push Your Rating Down

First things first, we’re going to skip over the part where we talk about analyzing what the reviews say and trying to improve how you conduct business. While that is completely valid advice to make sure you are meeting client expectations and addressing any problem employees or processes, we’re going to assume you’ve already done that.

You know that you’re doing a great job and providing amazing service and a fantastic product. The issue is that at some point in the past, a few opinionated bad apples sunk your rating.

What we’re talking about is the nuts and bolts of getting your rating back up. That way, the people discovering you online will be more inclined to come in and get the same wonderful experience your more recent customers are enjoying.

So, how do you do it?

Communicate – Publicly – with Those Leaving Bad Reviews

It’s never fun to have to deal with an unhappy customer. Especially if they’re making a scene in front of other potential customers. Negative reviews are the digital version of this. And I would argue that they’re worse than a client causing a scene in person because they exist in a public space for everyone to see for, essentially, forever.

This, however, is exactly the reason why you need to respond to negative reviews. Every bad online review equates to someone badmouthing your business in public. Without a response from you, the only voice being heard is theirs.

That being said, the point is not to defend yourself or even to share your side of the story. It doesn’t matter if the customer was a jerk, or even if their complaints are due to the fact that half of your staff was out with the flu. Instead, your goal should be to show potential future customers that you’re willing to work with the complaining client to make things better.

What does that mean? 

• Respond to any negative reviews in a prompt and professional manner.
• Apologize for the person’s negative experience and suggest possible solutions.
• Encourage the individual to reach out directly so that you can work with them to resolve the issues.

If nothing else, this shows others that you care about the experiences your clients have and that you want to make an honest effort to resolve their concerns. Best case scenario, if that disgruntled customer reaches out and receives exemplary service from your team, they might revise their rating upward and post a follow-up telling people what a great job you did.

Actively Encourage More Reviews

The absolute best way to combat negative reviews is with a slew of positive ones. How do you get these reviews?

Directly ask satisfied customers to leave reviews. We know it can feel awkward. Do it anyway.

Include a review QR code on everything – receipts, flyers, registers, and more. The goal should be to make reviewing your business as easy and convenient as possible.

Send follow-up emails with direct review links. People are busy. They forget. But if they truly had a great experience with you, they’re not going to become frustrated if you follow up with them about that review they said they would write. Most customers get how important good reviews are to your business. Still worried about annoying people?

Offer discounts, loyalty points, and other incentives for anyone who offers feedback. While you can’t specifically offer people rewards for positive reviews, it’s completely legal to incentivize reviews in general. This can be a useful motivator when you’re trying to bulk up the number of reviews you’ve received or to get numerous positive reviews to bring your score up.

Have more review questions? Need someone to psych you up more before you feel comfortable enough to ask customers for reviews? Schedule a free consultation!