Companies go through problems all the time. Some are bigger than others. Of these issues, reputation damages can be the most challenging. When the company fails to recover, more customers will look for other options. There are many reasons for an online reputation to get tarnished. Negative reviews are among them. When customers say something terrible about the brand, it can have a ripple effect. The use of reputation management software helps. It spots reviews and brand mentions. Responding to them is easier with the aid of this software. Here are other ways to restore a damaged online reputation.
Respond to negative reviews right away
Don’t allow negative reviews to go unanswered. There should be a quick response. Whether they’re factual or not, they deserve an answer. If the reviews were correct, try to apologize to the customer. Explain what happened and promise to do better. If the reviews were false, provide an appropriate response. Present the counter-arguments in detail. Include evidence to support the points. The answers to the reviews might not necessarily change people’s minds, but they can at least see the other side. Otherwise, only one narrative will win the day.
Release an immediate statement
If the company got involved in a scandal and spread it online, provide an immediate statement. Tell everyone what happened, and apologize. Be as transparent as possible, and don’t hold back. Unless there are legal reasons for holding information, explain everything in detail. If people in the leadership team got involved in the controversy, be honest about it. Explain to everyone that an independent investigation is happening and changes are going to happen.
Don’t be too emotional
It can be frustrating to see negative online reviews. It’s even worse if the reviews came from people who intentionally left terrible accusations without evidence. Contain the anger and draft an appropriate response. Try to be as diplomatic as possible. Remember that the response represents the company. It’s not ideal to say something horrible against the person who left the review. More people will feel turned off because of it. They will also avoid leaving reviews, good or bad since they worry about the potential response.
Avoid having lengthy responses
When people leave reviews, they will feel good to read an immediate response. It shows that the business sees them and reads their concerns. Most customers won’t respond anymore since they already got the answer. However, others might keep the conversation going. If it’s already a lengthy back and forth, invite the customer to have a private conversation. Perhaps, the issue can get settled through private messages. There’s no need for everyone to see the conversation.
Seek legal remedies
Engaging in a legal battle shouldn’t be the first option, but it’s a possibility. If the reviews are below the belt, and the person won’t take the statement back, ask for legal help. Some accusations are serious, and the only way to solve the problem is through the courts. It’s even more crucial for people in the medical field. An accusation lodged against a medical doctor could lead to the removal of the license. With legal action, the review might get taken down from the website.
Don’t sugarcoat the response
Be straightforward in giving the response. Some answers might be hard to accept, but the customers are mature enough to handle them. Even the reasons behind the controversies might also be challenging to accept. However, being honest is the only way to go. Hiding anything from the existing customers won’t do any good. They will eventually know the truth.
Encourage positive reviews
The best way of overcoming negative reviews is by burying them. When there are more positive reviews, no one will notice the negative ones anymore. If they do, they will be irrelevant. There are more positive responses across platforms, and they will hold more water. The problem is not everyone likes writing reviews. Some people hesitate to do it. Send reminders and provide them with the steps in writing a review. They will eventually do it. Invest in reputation management software to determine if there are more positive brand mentions.
Focus on product improvement
Some reviews might also be due to the poor product quality. People have a reason to write something bad because they didn’t like what they bought. The best way to prevent seeing more negative reviews is by listening to what people say. Improve the areas where everyone has the same feedback. Be open to changes if it means making more people feel satisfied.
Use reputation management software to spot reviews
Always track what people say about the business. It helps to use reputation management software since it determines if the company is heading in the right direction. If there are more positive reviews, it’s a good thing. Otherwise, the software will help identify the negative ones so the company can immediately respond.