By Maria Elena Duron
Going viral can mean great things for companies. It can also mean potentially deadly consequences, especially for small businesses. While we all hope at least one of our many social media endeavors will result in a surge of popularity, we often ignore the fact that negative reviews have an equal chance of catching the eye of millions, if not billions, of Internet eyes.
Often spread through social media and then picked up on by the media, these negative reviews can cripple a brand in less than a week if not handled properly. Though there’s no way to completely prevent such an outbreak, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk.
Don’t Ever Feed the Flames
Bad reviews are a part of the Internet. How you respond is what keeps a bad review quiet or spreads it through the web. It can be assumed that customers look to companies to act as mediating voices. When a company doesn’t and answers with profanities or an unprofessional response, people will express their outrage by sharing the bad review and response with their friends and colleagues who, in turn, share it with people they know.
Even if the negative response came from one employee having a bad day, that employee has now given the public a justifiable reason to hate your entire company.
Never, ever allow this to happen. If need be, wait a few hours before responding so that you can be sure your message is clearheaded and not filled with rage.
Marketing Takeaway: As you much as you can, if someone is enraged online, try to move the conversation offline. This action will show others watching that you are listening, and you’re attentive and concerned, all of which are a positive reflection on you and your business.
Trust in the Truth
Your customers are more than just a way for you to stay in business; they act as guardians of your reputation, provided you have always offered consistent service to everyone. In fact, many of the most militant defenders are customers who had a bad experience that was rectified with amazing customer service.
If a storm of negative attention begins moving your way, stick to your guns. Be strong against the trolls and stick to the facts you know to be true. Everything will pass once the media realizes the offending client was in the wrong.
Marketing Takeaway: Your actions will speak louder than your words. Remember, with negative reviews or events, people are watching your actions and reactions closely.
Take Responsibility
Now, if you are the offender or are perceived as the offender, take responsibility immediately. Address the concern directly and spell out a solution to the problem at hand. While there will be those incited by the incident, your taking charge will do wonders to assuage the masses. The public wants a response and it is your duty to provide them with one. Make sure your apology and plan are as visible as the initial complaint. When an issue goes viral, everyone has their eyes on you so be sure you build yourself up as the good guy.
Marketing Takeaway: When something goes wrong, be sincere in listening and showing your concern. Then be specific on what could have gone wrong and what will be remedied.
The concept of “how you sell a cupcake” comes to mind. When someone’s happy and providing a glowing recommendation, be appreciative and share in their joy. It’s not the time to go into long explanations and “steal their thunder.” They’re excited and wanting to share.
Yet, when something negative does happen, go through the specifics to pinpoint a person’s exact concern and identify specific areas of improvement.
Be Proactive
Assuming nothing has gone viral for you (yet), this is a great time to check on the state of affairs of your current customer service. How are customer experiences going with your current setup? Are you taking the initiative to right all wrongs, and otherwise finding out if your current client base is happy with every step of the process?
If customers offer feedback, are you implementing change to create a better brand for them? By listening to those who matter most, you can be rest assured that all negative experiences are handled immediately, long before they can grow big enough to become viral.
Set Up Procedures
No matter how new or experienced your employees may be, they all should have a standardized method of dealing with customers. This ensures that the most common problems are handled the same way every single time in a manner that has proven to be effective.
Though not every mishap can be predicted, the more common ones can and should be thought out. In addition, be sure to share with all public-facing employees specific steps and latitudes they’re allowed to provide an effective, on-brand tone in their communications.
Know First
Unfortunately, not all customers want to talk to you first. Instead, they’ll head to a review site and post an extensive outline of why they’re unhappy. If left to sit, a bad review can easily gain the attention of others and be spread around without you even knowing there was ever a problem.
Don’t be blindsided. Have resources dedicated to monitoring and responding to all review sites you have a page on. You can even set up Google Alerts and RSS feeds to automatically track your brand’s name.
Marketing Takeaway: Always respond to an online review. Always. Even if it’s to say, I heard you and would like to find out more information and details from you. What’s the best way to contact you? Or, email us (provide your email address) so we can set up a direct conversation.
In the end, you can’t predict when or what issue with your company will go viral. The best you can do to minimize potential damage is be proactive from the get-go and provide great customer service and care.
Your reputation will proceed itself and will develop a loyal group of advocates who will speak positively on your behalf even before the time comes. If, however, you are cornered, remember to stay calm and collected, no matter what happens. Use the media attention to play up the good parts about your company and never be afraid to apologize as you work to make amends.
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Maria Elena Duron is Marketing Coach with Know, Like + Ignite. She works with restaurants, realtors, rejuvenators, and renegades to get more positive reviews, recommendations, referrals, and revenue. She received the Texas Governor’s Award for Excellence in Business and leads one of the top six Twitter chats in the world: #brandchat. Take the uncertainty out of how your personal and business brand delivers business–Get Your Checklist.
The post Fixing Viral Mistakes: How to Deal With Negative Online Reviews appeared first on AllBusiness.com
The post Fixing Viral Mistakes: How to Deal With Negative Online Reviews appeared first on AllBusiness.com.