How companies should deal with negative reviews online
Negative reviews are a common problem for businesses. Customers may not be happy with the quality of a product or how it works compared to what was promised. The same applies to services — for example, an educational course may not meet expectations.
Sometimes, negativity comes from less obvious issues. Early in a company's growth, employees might struggle to handle a surge of requests. This can lead to long wait times, frustrating customers. The problem often lies in not having mature business processes or poor organization of customer support.
Many times, internal company issues cause negative feedback. Changes like staff turnover or restructuring management can cause disruptions.
For example, a company might need to reorganize departments as it grows. The departments that work directly with clients are most likely to be affected. Customers will notice these changes more there.
A company might also change how it handles customer support. Suppose they switch from personal responses to using a chatbot for feedback. Many customers prefer talking to real people. They might feel disappointed when they get a robot instead. Such changes can surprise or upset customers, leading to negative reviews online.
It's important to know that negative reviews don't last forever. For example, a company might have had a problem at an earlier stage only to fix it later. In these cases, it's best to respond appropriately and not waste energy on old issues.
Some review sites ask to be paid if you want negative reviews removed. We believe it’s better to focus on improving your reputation instead. Working on your service and image today is the best way to reduce bad reviews.
Handling negative reviews is crucial. Research shows nine out of ten online shoppers read reviews before buying. This is especially true for expensive items or services that are hard to judge in person.
For example, it’s easy to understand what a new phone can do. But it’s harder to see how a career or health improves after taking a course or doing a fitness program. Reviews help answer these questions.
Regular research and market checks show how negative reviews can block sales. Bad online feedback can shake trust in a brand or product. That’s why these reviews must not be ignored.
It’s also important not to argue with the reviewer. Often, a simple, respectful reply can stop a small problem from growing. If you wait too long, a person might post on other sites and harm your reputation. Always respond to unhappy customers quickly and kindly.
Negative reviews can also reveal issues you didn’t see. Customers often notice problems in service or production that staff or managers miss. It’s valuable feedback and worth paying attention to.
To catch all reviews, we use a tool called Brand Analytics. It helps us monitor what people are saying. We also check key review sites each week so we don’t miss any important comments.