Responding to Customer Reviews: A Quick Guide

Online reviews are often the go-to for potential customers looking to get a first impression of your business and they are a huge part of a business’s reputation. If your business has no visible online presence, this could drive away potential clients, so it is important to monitor reviews and construct well thought-out responses to both positive and negative reviews.  

We’ve collected, adapted and summarized some best practices and strategies for how to respond to the different types (see our sources at the end of this article). 

Let’s get started!

Positive Reviews

Customers read your reviews before doing business with you and the more highly-rated reviews there are, the more customers your business will attract.

But positive reviews are not the ones harming your business so why respond to them?

Well, your customers took time out of their busy day to write a review that would benefit your business, so it is crucial that you show your appreciation. They are guiding other potential customers to your business and showing that you value your current customers will increase the chances of those customers returning and/or telling other people about you.

Here are some guidelines for responding to a positive review: 

Start by thanking them 

Let them know you are grateful they had a positive experience and personalize the response by addressing them by name at least once. Do not copy and paste the same response you used with another reviewer; every response should be somewhat unique or else it comes off as careless. 

Here is an example:

Refer back to specific points in their review  

Referring back to what they wrote shows that you took the time to carefully read what they wrote and are personalizing your response specifically for them. 

Here is an example:

Mention your business 

Make sure to casually name-drop your business name in order to boost the likelihood of appearing in search results.

Here is an example:

Give customers a reason to come back 

Don't just say “we hope to see you again”; offer them something of value to actually make them want to return such as a money-off coupon for their next purchase or you could highlight something about your company people are not aware of. 

Here is an example:

Negative Reviews 

When running a business, receiving negative reviews is inevitable, but it’s the way you choose to deal with them that makes the difference.

If you choose to ignore all the bad reviews, it communicates that you are not capable of taking responsibility. Responding to a negative review is your opportunity to make things right and explain that what happened is an uncommon incident and how you plan to fix it, promising a better experience.

It's important to invite them back and humanize your response. Plus, if things go well and the concerns are dealt with, then the customer will likely go back and retract their statement. 

Here are some guidelines for responding to a negative review: 

Take full responsibility and apologize

Your customer is upset because of their experience so it is important that you validate their feelings and don’t make excuses, even if it's a very rare situation. 

Here is an example:

If you believe the customer has clearly misunderstood the situation, carefully clarify and explain how they can resolve the issue without invalidating the customer’s experience and remain apologetic for the confusion. You can even ask if they have any suggestions for how you can make the customer experience easier/prevent future issues of this nature with other customers.

Emphasize that this doesn't usually happen

Make sure to remind the reviewer, or whomever may be reading your reviews, that most of the experiences are positive - still, without invalidating or belittling their experience.

Here is an example of what you can write, following the part above: 

Offer solutions 

Remember this is your opportunity to fix things. This includes providing contact information and referring them to someone who can help them solve their issue.

Here is an example:

Short response - keep it to the point

If you write too long of a response or go into too many details you might say something wrong which would create more disappointment for the reviewer. Keep the response between 2-3 sentences.

Mixed Reviews 

Most reviews are going to be overwhelmingly positive or negative, but businesses still endure their fair share of mixed reviews. These fall into anything between 2-4 stars, not outstanding but not terrible. Most of these reviews also refer to a mix of pros and cons about the business.

It's important to acknowledge these because you want to show that you’re all for constructive criticism and always looking for ways to improve. Plus, you are not just speaking to that one reviewer but everyone who reads that review and it will show initiative on your part and your commitment to customer relations.

Here are some guidelines for responding to a mixed review: 

Thank the customer for the review 

Even if the review has flaws, it's important to acknowledge the customer intends to help improve your business. 

Here is an example:

Acknowledge the positive comments 

You don't want to overshadow the positive things written so be sure to mention those statements first. 

Here is an example:

Apologize for the negative comments

After acknowledging the positives, make sure you do the same for the negatives and give a brief explanation as to why the issue(s) occurred. 

Here is an example:

Assure a better experience next time

Most of the time mixed reviewers are not set on never doing business with you again. If you give them hope and helpful and empathetic explanations, then they are likely to try again and hopefully have a much better experience.

Here is an example:



Whether a review is positive, negative or mixed, being responsive shows that you are listening and that you appreciate the feedback. The effort you put into responding to reviews can greatly benefit your business and can help attract new clients as well as develop stronger customer relationships.

And remember - it's impossible for a business to have zero negative reviews and most people are fully aware of this, so the important thing is to make sure you are actively and effectively responding to them. If there is a sea of great reviews and an occasional bad one with a well-constructed explanation and apology, then most people would likely understand and not hold it against your business.

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Sources:

Vendasta - sells digital solutions to local businesses

ReviewTrackers - an award-winning customer review software co.