We absolutely live in a different world today - the buyer/seller dynamic has changed drastically since the internet. In the past, when there were, for example, just a few ice cream shops the seller had all the power. The buyer had just those few shops to choose from, but now, there are so many options available to be found on the internet and with online reviews, everyone is talking. Online reviews is today's word of mouth marketing so having a plethora of them available for your potential customers is the best way to stand out from your competition. No matter what, it is always more important what others are saying about you, versus what you say about yourself.
To leave a review on Google you have to be a unique user, meaning have an email account set up so your review will be posted under 'Your Name'. These reviews are for the public to view and if you get a negative review you can not just simply delete, remove or edit it. Otherwise everyone would have a perfect 5.0 Star Status. We have recently learned however that having 5.0 star status isn't all it's cracked up to be. Learn more about this here
Why You Should Care If You Get a Negative Review
Receiving a negative review can be extremely disheartening, leaving a feeling of revenge and punishment to your business. First don't over react, it's not the end of the world and don't try to close your business listing in Google! The only two options here are to ask the user to edit their review, or Google will allow you, the business to post a Response. The following are a few stats as to why you really should try and get the user to edit their review:
- 86% of consumers read reviews for local businesses
- 57% of consumers choose businesses with four or more stars
- 73% of consumers are extremely likely to do business with a brand that resolves their complaints
- 89% of consumers read businesses responses to reviews
Getting a Customer to Edit Their Negative Review
Firstly, the user can edit the review and star rating they initially post, they are not set in stone. And research shows that customers do indeed treat their reviews as an ongoing subject, increasing or decreasing the star rating depending on their level of satisfaction. Poor and rude customer service really fuel negative reviews, but a proactive outreach will be your negative review repair kit:
- Your business may recognize the users name and have their contact info on file.
- Your business may not recognize the user and so you can then leave a response including your eagerness to make contact with them and correct the situation.
- Your business can DM the customer if the negative review is on Yelp
If you get a reply from the dissatisfied customer your brand has been given a second chance and it is up to you to do everything in your power to get them to change the review. Asking the user to change their star rating can be touchy so make sure their faith in your business has completely been restored before asking!
Prevention of negative reviews is really the key, so make sure to double down on your staff training and hiring and provide the best customer service in the business.
Let Us Help You Build Your Online Reviews
Check out our Chiropractic Online Review Building service that helps your get more five star reviews from happy patients and recover an unhappy patient before they leave a negative review.
If you have questions about managing your online reputation or other pieces of your online marketing, let us know.
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