Have you ever had time to check local listings to see what your review score was? Were the reviews posted negative? Not long ago, unhappy customers would write a complaint letter or complain to a manager. Now, it has gone viral and everyone can see what your customers are posting on the Internet, good or bad. Protecting your business online or Reputation Management as it is referred to, is very important to businesses today.
You need to find out what consumers are saying about your business, you can do this by searching for your business online through Google. Did any negative feedback regarding your business show up in the results? Did any positive reviews come up, how many positive reviews is it good to have? The more the positive reviews the better it is for your business.
The first thing you should do if you come across a negative review/complaint/issue about your business is to attempt to make contact with the customer offline and have them address their complaint to you. Leave a comment on the review if you can’t get a hold of them to please contact you directly regarding issue. Always use empathy. Make them understand that you truly care about what they are telling you. You should not put the blame on the customer or any other employee! Never ignore a customer’s complaint. Always be courteous. Gaining a positive reputation online takes hard work, but it is definitely worth the challenge. It is better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to managing your reputation online.
If the customer is happy after talking to you and you both have cleared up the misunderstanding, ask politely if they can remove the negative review. If they refuse to, comment under the customers post stating you took action and list how. Try to have some of your loyal customers post positive reviews about your business. Make the positive reviews outweigh the negative.
You could also try to offer incentives such as discounts. This makes it a win-win situation for both you and your customer. While they post positive reviews about your business, they are also receiving a good deal in return. A customer online needs as much respect and attention as a customer that is standing right in front of you.
Hopefully these few insights help you to understand how important it is to know what is being said online about your business and how important it is to address the issue. We understand how important this is and help our clients through online Reputation Management programs. We can help you address the problem areas personally through postings and with strategic methods designed to present positive information about your business ahead of any damaging information. We also can take preventive measures to help you stay ahead of your competition.
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