Comments on: How Companies Should Respond To Negative Reviews

By: Matt P

Matt P — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:35:47 +0000

My review of this post:
Since reading this post, my blue ram cichlid has developed some fin fungus, it’s obviously your fault Ms Barone. Anyone reading this blog beware – it will destroy your life.
Kidding!
I’ve been witness lately to an online feud developing (or continuing) between a couple of SEO industry leaders; Posts chalk full of passive aggressive remarks, name calling etc. It’s definitely put a dent into my opinion of their professionalism. While these guys aren’t posting negative reviews per se, they are responding somewhat passionately to each other’s accusations on a public forum.

I agree, It’s sage advice to calm down before reacting to negative criticism posted on the net. Airing professional differences should always be done behind the scenes when possible.

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:53:14 +0000

Good points for any online marketer to be prepared with. While everyone strives to deliver quality of our products and services, it’s also a fact that we sometimes stumble. In this case, we are at the mercy of a handful of people who are truly vocal about their dissatisfaction. But if we deliver what we promise most of the times, it would seem quite unfair that our reputations are tarnished by those 1- 2% of times when we fail to meet expectations. After all, no one, and no company for that matter, is perfect. I have used a tool AirCheese. Its really good for ORM. Check it out. Its beta version is available for free download.

By: Kim Krause Berg

Kim Krause Berg — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:57:58 +0000

Sorry…been too busy to keep up. Just saw this and wanted to express my thanks and kudos to you for an excellent and well written post with calm, logical advice.

By: Joshua Dorkin @ BiggerPockets

Joshua Dorkin @ BiggerPockets — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:11:47 +0000

Great article, Lisa. I actually refer our members to the article now in our forum devoted to reviewing real estate gurus and courses. Most people think that responding to all negative comments is a good idea, and as you said, it could certainly backfire. I hope this piece can help educate these folks. Thanks!

By: Joseph Manna, Infusionsoft

Joseph Manna, Infusionsoft — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:30:31 +0000

I have a few thoughts in reply to the entry. For one, it’s excellent and every small business needs to read it. Second, is the fact consumers are more empowered than ever and companies need to accept this. Third, I’ve had pretty decent success by digging deep to listen to what our customers (past and present) have to say about our company. Not all of it negative, not all of it impressive either; qualitative comments lend insight into their experience.

I’ve found by leveraging Google Alerts, Twitter Search RSS subscriptions, frequent cursory searches and simply engaging and listening to customers helps me stay connected to the thoughts of the groundswell.

Speaking of Groundswell, I encourage every consumer advocate, customer support manager and employees in any company to pick up a copy of Groundswell, read it and apply the principles in how to interact with customers on the Web. It’s very actionable and inspiring. :)

~Joe

By: Teresha Aird

Teresha Aird — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:25:13 +0000

Very good advice Lisa. I was actually just on Tripadvisor yesterday reading some responses from hotel managers to both negative and positive reviews. Some were just plain horrid but others really had it down, thanking both types of reviewers and being specific in their responses. I found a few hotel managers who were able to field these negative comments in such a positive manner that it made me want to stay in their hotel regardless of the reviews.
Bizwiki doesn’t yet offer business owners a chance to respond to reviewers although it is on the cards. We’ll certainly be watching to see how it works for Yelp. Good luck to all the businesses :-)

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:05:48 +0000

Come on , sites like MeasuredUp have allowed companies to answer reviews for awhile now. Customer reputation management is more important in an economy like this then ever before. Companies that listen to their customers will build their brand.

By: Anita Campbell

Anita Campbell — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:20:27 +0000

Great techniques here for responding to negative criticism, Lisa.

I think the smart small business owners will realize that they are being judged by consumers just as closely on HOW they respond to negative reviews, as on the negative review itself. They definitely should not go off half-cocked and berate consumers or something just as silly. Although some undoubtedly will … but in those situations if they make things worse, then they have only themselves to blame if things blow up in their faces.

However, on the underlying issue of Yelp and other review sites, it is absolutely crucial for small businesses to have this equalizing opportunity. It’s ridiculous for things to remain one-sided. They just need to respond the right way, like you’ve outlined.

- Anita

By: Leanne

Leanne — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:11:50 +0000

I thought of your post yesterday when I called a local retailer regarding a double-charge to my credit card. It was a simple mistake and easy to fix, but the person I spoke with spent a lot of time telling me quite loudly that it wasn’t their fault.

Since we were just on the phone, the damage to their brand was minimal (just little old me and whoever was in the store listening – hopefully no one!) but I couldn’t help but think about how that tone would have gone over with a larger audience. It’s a clear example of why it’s important to have guidelines in place for handling any kind of customer complaint, not just ones you encounter in social media. Your guide is a good one and I hope companies will pay attention to the ideas you’ve suggested.

By: digital media college

digital media college — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:56:38 +0000

Wow. Great advice! I wasn’t aware that Yelp was going to do this. At least now business will be able to refute the occasional outlandish claims that come up. It is going to take some level heads though. I know I have a problem when people bad mouth my business. I instantly refute all claims in an arrogant, you-dont-know-what-you’re-talking-about style. I am definitely going to have to work on that.