Creating an online presence can leave any business owner feeling a little vulnerable. Once you develop a space on the internet for your company, it opens your business up to potential criticism and negativity. While all business owners want to see their business reflected in the best light on the “wild-wild-web”, sometimes the only option is to face the criticism head-on. Whether it’s a genuine complaint, or a customer just got up on the wrong side of the bed that morning, a negative review can have a significant impact on your company’s new or existing business opportunities. Thankfully, you have the power to reframe negative feedback by keeping these simple guidelines in mind:

No it’s not a fantasy game, it’s the internet and trolls linger everywhere. We never seem to know where they come from, but somehow they find us. From their dank, internet hole, they emerge and spout their public criticisms to anyone who will engage with them. It may seem counterproductive to address those real or pretend customers (“bots”) who leave negative remarks about your business, but it’s necessary to combat them as quickly as possible. Tact is the key for dealing with trolls. The more calmly and thoughtfully you respond, the more ridiculous they look, and the more likely any potential customer reading the troll’s comments are likely to dismiss them. Take all the ammunition out of a troll’s comment with a solution-focused response. Then, ask them to take the conversation to a private setting, whether through private message, email, or by phone. This way, other viewers will see your polite, public response and attempt to appease the customer, while you have also redirected the conversation to a place where you can hash out the customer’s complaint. If the comments are baseless or abusive, report their conduct and see if they can be blocked or have their comments removed from your business pages.

It’s difficult to not get emotional when you feel your business is being criticized. That is why it’s so important to check your emotions when responding to online criticism.  If you find that your immediate response is to attack rather than find a solution, step away from the phone, computer, or tablet. Come back to it when cooler heads prevail, or better yet, outsource responding to an impartial party who can respond calmly and thoughtfully to the critic. Through omni-channel support, WESP Communications, LLC is able to monitor all of your client touchpoints, from email to online and social platforms, to answer in real-time. This way any customer issues get resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible, based on the guidelines YOU set for all of your customer touchpoints.

Does the disgruntled commenter have a point? Honest feedback and recommendations, even when negative, can be an important indicator of a real issue that needs to be addressed in your business operations. If one person felt the need to leave a comment or review about an issue, it’s likely that someone who did not leave a post had a similar experience. Even if it’s not online, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t sharing that negative review with their family, friends, or others.

You may not be able to salvage a relationship with the negative reviewer, but other customers or potential customers will be reading what you post as well. Do your messages inspire confidence and demonstrate your commitment to customer service? or pettiness and poor excuses? Or possibly worse, are you not responding at all? A couple negative reviews may not kill your bottom line, but responding to those reviews in a derogatory way, or ignoring them entirely, could lose you money. Show those potential customers, who read those negative reviews, that you are willing to go the extra mile for unsatisfied customers. Viewers of negative comments will see that you have responded in a thoughtful way while attempting to find a solution to the problem. They will be more likely to believe that it has been resolved – rather than those who see no response at all. Potential customers want to know that you care about the quality of the service and/or products you provide. They will appreciate that you work hard to protect your reputation and retain your customers. A timely, well-crafted response goes a long way to pacify negative remarks and protect new and existing client relationships.

If the prospect of managing your business reputation and online customer service across all your online platforms sound daunting, WESP Communications, LLC has the solution for you! We offer shared-environment and/or dedicated support  at affordable rates for all business sizes and needs. Contact us to learn how we can build a customized plan to integrate your customer service strategy across all your client touchpoints.