I t isn't breaking news that the internet has changed the business landscape forever. Yes, yes, we know that 2020 had a lot to do with it, but statistics indicate that it only pushed us - some kicking and screaming - down a path we were already on. Before the world even knew what COVID-19 was, e-commerce accounted for 14.1% of all retail sales worldwide (2019) and was projected to reach 22% by 2023. Now fast-forward to a global pandemic that has forced many of us to quarauntine, or at the very least be more selective about the places we travel. EMarketer reports U.S. e-commerce sales growth surged to 18.0%, the highest on record since they began calculating this metric in 2008. AND all indications are that no one will be rushing back to brick and mortar stores when the virus is eventually contained. Shoppers have tested the e-comm water and it’s nice.

- It’s projected that by the year 2040, as much as 95% of shopping will be facilitated online (Nasdaq).

So, what does that mean for your business? Well, it means that a bulk of your customer engagement will happen online without ever seeing them face-to-face. Ergo, factors like body language, tone-of-voice, and eye contact won't be part of the equation in most scenarios. This seems like a pretty obvious point, but it's crucial to understanding why we need to dive into this topic together: How to handle that pesky online customer that left you a bad review!

1. Don’t Take It Personally

When your literal blood, sweat, and tears have gone into your business, it’s hard not to take negative feedback personally. However, as soon as you do you’ve already taken the wrong position. You’ll find yourself being defensive, and if you’re not careful, you’ll go straight into attack-mode. It helps to verbally say to yourself, “it’s not personal, it’s just business”, a few times before you even think about responding on your company’s public page. Some reviews are going to hurt a little. Some of them might even be — dare I say— true (ouch), but take each one as a chance to learn, get better, and whatever you do, try not to take them personally.

2. Take a Minute

We often think we need to respond to everything immediately. More often than not, our first response isn’t always our best one. Take a minute, step away, relax, and come back. You’ll be more calculated because you took the time to formulate an appropriate response without impulsively lashing out with the first thing that came to your mind.

3. Respond

It’s a general rule of thumb that all customer feedback should get a response, whether the feedback was positive or negative. The WORST thing you can do is ignore it. Customer engagement is extremely important. If you want new customers, and for those customers to become repeat customers, they need to know you care about them as more than just a number on a bottom-line. Take the time to respond to all the feedback you can, especially to the negative ones. Here’s why…

4. You Win Some and You Lose Some

It’s just a simple reality that your company won’t be a good fit for everyone. It’s inevitable that you’ll make a mistake at some point and it might be a deal-breaker for some customers. The reason your response to negative feedback is so important is that you may have lost a customer, but your well-thought-out and professional response will likely win you a new one — or more. So, when you respond, keep this in mind: You’re not just responding to the disgruntled customer, but also the possible new one that is reading how you handle a negative review.

5. Be Professional

Even if you feel that the review is unwarranted, or you know you’re in the right, you’re not here to win an argument. Lead-off with something like this:

“Thank you for reaching out! We’re sorry to hear that. At XYZ Company, we’re dedicated to doing all we can to make sure our customers have the best experience possible. Would you be willing to email name@xyzcompany.com to see if there’s something we can do to make this right?”

You did two things here:

You took the high-ground immediately by softening the tone and communicating that your company is willing to do whatever you can to make it right.
You took it off the public forum. This is a more appropriate place for the problem to be resolved if it can be. Tensions won’t be as high. It also communicates professionalism and a system for customer care.

ONE LAST THOUGHT...

But what if they just keep at it on the public forum? Remember, you took the high-ground of care and resolution, so follow right back up with:

“Again, we’re very sorry to hear that. Feedback is important to us. We hope that you’ll email (or call) us soon so we can work to resolve this issue.”

Then you’re done! Don’t let them corner you into a public argument. You responded, gave them a method to work toward resolving the issue, and stayed professional throughout. Others saw that too and we all know an internet troll when we see one ;) So, it’s time to move on...you have a business to run.

We hope this helped a little. Leave us some questions or feedback in the comments and click one of the share buttons below…thank you!

5 Steps on Responding to Negative Online Feedback