MARKETING MIX | LEEANN FROESE
How to Deal With Negative Reviews and Online Trolls that maybe the negative review was unwarranted. Personally, when I read negative reviews, I look to see how a company has responded.
If you follow the #bcwine hash tags and do some online listening, you will know that those who disagree with her have learned that Dr. Bonnie Henry owns shares in a BC winery, and the winery was absolutely bombarded with negative Trip Advisor and Google reviews. In response, there are a lot of people advocating for this winery and encouraging others to post positively, but it’s tough. These negative reviews can potentially hurt their reputation. However, whether it is negative or not, a review of any kind presents an opportunity. Here’s what I recommend: Schedule a Regular Time to Check Reviews First, you need to be paying attention regularly to see what is being said about you. Google alerts do not necessarily pick up mentions on other platforms, so you need to work this into your schedule. Think about Google, Yelp, Trip Advisor, Facebook, Cellar Tracker etc. Acknowledge Five star and positive reviews are wonderful and should be acknowledged, and so should anything negative, no matter how bad. Negative reviews with a response from you explaining can at least help to show
Gabrielle Brisbois, who we collaborate with at Town Hall Brands on social media for our shared clients, notes, “our era of distrust is driving demand for greater transparency from brands, and setting new communication standards.” Being transparent and authentic across social media platforms is essential, especially when crafting an answer to negative comments. “If you ignore negative comments or delay your response, you may inadvertently back up adverse claims, and provide fuel to any fire these comments may have caused,” Brisbois explains. Criticism Is a Gift It seems counterintuitive but getting feedback of a mistake your business made or what you can do to be better should be considered a gift, as you can learn and grow from it. Real feedback can help you refine your offerings. Also, negative reviews counterbalance the positive ones. A business may want some negative reviews because it demonstrates that they’re a real business, especially when reviews can be purchased. Today’s consumers are savvy enough to figure out reviews for themselves. For example, if you go on Amazon and read a review before purchasing a product, how did the one or two negative reviews make you react when put against the five-star reviews? Did this impact the way you purchased your product?
Don’t Be Defensive It can be hard to hear that someone had a bad experience or that your team messed up, and it can be uncomfortable when you need to address these situations internally. But don’t take this out on the person who left the review. Instead, reply and thank the person for their feedback. Note that their complaint is unfortunate and not your intent. Reiterate that a positive experience is always your goal and that this feedback can help you improve their future customer experience. Take It Offline Publicly respond and ask the person who posted the review to call or email you (and publicly provide these numbers) so you can have a private conversation to see how you can address their review/complaint. And then STOP. Going back and forth publicly online makes you look defensive. For customers that keep commenting, don’t take the bait. You have stated publicly what you will do, and provided the ways to get in touch. Many people, only brave at their keyboard, will not take it further. Giulia Sa Barreto, who does social media for our clients at Town Hall Brands, says, “For people that actually follow through, a 10-minute phone call can be much more effective in solving the problem than a huge back and forth on Facebook or in Messenger.” Outline What You Will Do to Correct Again, connecting offline about this is ideal. Since our clients are in hospitality and any bad reviews are mainly about service, we first acknowledge a complaint.
Providing Packaging, Bottling, Corks, Screwcaps, Capsules & Closures for Wineries and U-Vins • Wine Bottles • Rigid Packaging • Amorim Neutrocork Corks • Aluminum Screwcaps • PolyLam Capsules • Closures
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