How to Respond to Positive and Negative Reviews

When you put your heart and your soul into your business, you like to know that your work is being appreciated. Seeing a positive review on Facebook, Google, or Yelp can make your day. But what if they aren’t so great?

Every negative thing that is said about your business is visible to current and potential customers. Moreover, according to Review Trackers, 52% of customers expect to hear back within 7 days of publishing a review, especially if it’s negative. 25% expect a response within 3 days, and 21% within 24 hours. Timely and thoughtful responses are critical to proper customer service.

Let us help you understand how to handle both positive and negative reviews.

Positive Reviews

Positive reviews mean that you are doing your job right. Positive reviews are like compliments to you and your business that everyone can see. That’s why responding to them is important, it’s the polite thing to do. Not only you will be thanking the reviewer, but you will be showing all the readers that you are a business that cares about your customers. In addition, positive review response allows you to improve your SEO ranking, build relationships with your customers, and leave a friendly impression.

In a response:

Thank the customer for their feedback
Personalize your message to their review, and directly address their comment
Share something new with your customer, like features or a little behind-the-scenes
Keep your response short
Be kind and respectful
Emphasize your company values
Include keywords such as business name, category, and location to boost your SEO rankings

Negative Reviews

Once in a while, a business will have an unhappy customer. Though it may feel offensive, unjustified, and/or like a personal attack, these reviews are even more important to respond to. Ignoring the review will not make it go away, it can only make things worse and make you look untrustworthy. This is your opportunity to change customer perspective (and maybe also their review!) and make things right. Once again, you are speaking to all the people who are reading the review. They want to see that you are alleviating this issue, improving your business, and are committed to an exceptional experience.

You should:

Apologize, even if you think you didn’t do anything wrong!
Be polite
Offer to discuss the issue further and provide contact information
Fix the issue and offer a solution
Keep your response short and simple
Avoid sounding defensive
Reassure that you are working on improvements

Regardless of whether your review is good or bad, make the most out of it. Showcase your company in a good light and demonstrate that you care. And remember to use the keywords suited for your business such as your company name, category, and/or location to increase your search engine optimization.

Learn more about Why Reviews are Crucial for your Business and the Bottom Line and How Reviews Boost Local SEO here!

Trying to improve your business? Learn what we can do to help:

Subscribe Now

Related Blogs

Lead Nurturing

From Leads to Customers: How Lead Scoring Drives Conversions

In today’s bustling sales and marketing arena, knowing who’s really into what you’re offering isn’t just nice—it’s necessary. That's where lead scoring steps in as your strategic sidekick, helping you pinpoint which prospects are primed and ready to...

Public Relations

Why Online Reviews are Crucial for Your Business and the Bottom Line

What does any business want? You guessed it, to increase their bottom line. One of the definite ways to achieve that is to increase customer trust. The reputation of your business is an indispensable weapon. Now, what is the one thing that people do...

Social Media Marketing

How Reviews Boost Local SEO

In today’s digital world, being found online is just as important as having a great product or service. But for local businesses, it’s not just about being online—it’s about being visible to the right people in your community. That’s where local SEO...

Hubspot Management

Marketing

HubSpot Services