Bad Reviews and Negative Comments
What Action to Take if You Receive a Bad Review or a Negative Comment Online
Building a strong brand is essential. Gather your 5-star reviews so that in the unlikely event of receiving a negative review, your brand is robust enough to weather the complaint. Continually ask your satisfied clients for reviews, ensuring that when a negative comment arises, you have a substantial amount of positive feedback to keep it in perspective.
Reputation is vital for all businesses, and a few negative comments can significantly impact public perception. Unfortunately, many clients are more likely to write a review when they have a complaint than when they are satisfied. New potential clients often feel like they are taking a chance and are more likely to check you out online before making an appointment.
When You See a Negative Review, Don’t:
Reply in anger or upset. Stay calm, gather yourself, then respond in a calm and polite manner, regardless of how incorrect or unreasonable you think the person is being.
Ignore the review. This suggests you aren’t concerned about your reputation or the client. If you choose not to respond, you risk other readers deciding that the person’s comments are correct.
Argue with or deny legitimate criticism. Investigate the matter. If you are at fault, own it and admit to it. This is better than trying to argue or pretend the complaint isn’t true.
What You Can Do:
Respond with facts, not opinions, and never get personal.
Seriously consider the nature of the complaint. Mistakes happen in business. Make amends and be visible online while doing so to protect your reputation. Apologize, and if appropriate, offer a refund, extra service, or an exchange.
If you believe the customer is out of order, respond calmly and politely. Apologize for how they feel, and ask for a second chance to rectify the situation.
Respond to the review, but if the issue is complex, resolve it privately. Respect client privacy; if you don’t have contact details, ask them to reach out to you directly. Avoid lengthy public responses.
Do your research before responding and ensure you have a record of the service or transaction. If you’re certain the complaint is not about your business, publicly state that you have no record of the transaction and report it to the review site.
Nobody enjoys receiving negative reviews, but they are a fact of life in the digital age. The challenge is to implement a ‘no blame’ policy among your team, encouraging them to inform you when something goes wrong. Combine this with excellent client relations, prompting clients to approach you directly with genuine complaints or issues.
Definitions of a Complaint:
“When a client feels strongly enough that her expectations have not been met, she may make a complaint.”
“A complaint is when a client brings a problem to the attention of the business and expects some redress, probably over and above simply supplying the original service or product that caused the complaint.”
Mistakes can happen, whether due to circumstances beyond your control or errors made by your team. When relations break down between the client and your business, it’s time to take action.
Complaints Are to Be Welcomed!
If clients walk away, you may never get the opportunity to make things right. They might take their business elsewhere, badmouth your salon, or post negatively online. By bringing the issue to your attention, clients give you a golden opportunity to correct whatever has gone wrong. Handled correctly, complaints can win a client back and turn them into a lifelong patron. These clients are valuable; they provide insight into areas for improvement.
When handled well, your response will impress other readers, showcasing that you run a professional business that cares for its clients. Do whatever it takes to turn negative reviews into positives.
Complaints Are Golden Opportunities to:
Right the wrong
Listen and empathize
Rescue the situation
Win the client back
Improve your service
Build long-term relationships
Say ‘thank you’
‘Service Recovery’ is What We Do When Things Go Wrong:
How we rescue the situation
How we handle complaints
How we satisfy the dissatisfied client
How we respond online
Staff Training on Service Recovery
After addressing a complaint, schedule a ‘service recovery staff training session’:
Explain the consequences when a treatment/service goes wrong.
Ensure practical training is conducted so that confidence is maintained—every staff member must know how to handle complaints.
Conduct training emphasizing courteous, sympathetic, and swift complaint handling.
Introduce a company complaints/incident report form.
Role-play your salon's established procedures for dealing with complaints.
Remember, the client may not always be right, but they are always the client!
"Don't let bad reviews hold you back! Contact Liz at [email protected] or call +353 1 892 8007 today to learn how to effectively manage negative comments and strengthen your salon's reputation!"
