Suppose you have an online store and you sell brooms without handles, socks with holes or kites without string, then it is a matter of time before bad reviews start pouring in.
But fortunately this does not happen that often in practice and most products or services that we buy (online) are sound. However, no matter how good your product or service is, it can happen that you receive a bad review: someone had a different expectation of the product, something went wrong with the delivery or your customer service was difficult to reach. Preventing bad reviews altogether is difficult, but there are ways to keep them to a minimum. That is why we share 4 tips with you in this blog to avoid bad reviews and maintain your (online) reputation.
1. Make sure your customers are satisfied
This first tip may sound a bit lame, but it is no less true. Research shows that the main reason for customers to write reviews is not because they want to complain, but precisely because they want to indicate that they are satisfied with the product. If your product or service is of good quality, good reviews will come naturally.
In addition, try to look beyond just the product or service: the service you provide also has a major influence on your reviews. Many customers who are dissatisfied or have a problem try to reach you first. Only when they cannot reach you after several calling attempts or have been waiting for more than a week for an answer to their email, do they happily write off their frustration in a review. This is why we at Belco help web shops achieve a 9+ rating for their customer service with our all-in-one customer service environment . Problems do arise anyway: it is often the way you solve them that makes the difference.
2. Encourage good reviews
If you have 10 good ones for one bad review, that makes a huge difference. Therefore, try to encourage your customers to leave good reviews. Especially with the knowledge that 90% of all consumers read reviews and only 10% of consumers do not let reviews influence their choice for a product or service. A good tip to get more positive reviews is to actively ask your customers if they want to leave a review and possibly even reward them for this with, for example, a discount code or another nice thank you. You can also buy good reviews: don't do that. You're only fooling yourself with that.
3. Talk to your customer
When you receive a bad review, it is advisable to always respond. Try to do this as quickly as possible and always remain friendly – even if someone is unreasonable or says things that may not be entirely correct. If you respond professionally, calmly and friendly and actively look for a suitable solution together with the customer, others will also see that your service level is high. But feel free to respond to good reviews: customers certainly appreciate that!
4. Bad reviews as valuable feedback
Of course, it is not nice to receive a bad review and sometimes your first reaction may be to dismiss it as nonsense with the pride you have for your company. However, it is wiser to view reviews as valuable feedback. Always ask yourself critically whether there is a grain of truth in the criticism and try to actively work on it. This way you not only show your customer that you take their review seriously, you also prevent bad reviews in the future.
Do you want to reduce the chance of bad reviews by offering your customers an exceptional customer service experience or do you have any questions based on this blog? Let us know! Wondering if Belco is something for you? Try our software for free for 2 weeks and experience what it's like to work in an all-in-one customer service environment.This trial is completely without obligation and stops automatically after 2 weeks.
