3 Surprising Ways Negative Reviews Can Actually Help Your Reputation

This may sound a little crazy, but here it goes…

Getting negative reviews is not always bad. In fact, they can actually help your business thrive and improve your reputation.

Really…

While you should strive to get good online reviews and increase your ratings, a nasty comment should not cause a panic attack. Contrary to popular belief, bad ratings will not immediately turn your customers away from your products and services. In fact, they are a great opportunity for your small business.

Here are some of the benefits negative reviews may bring.

1. Bad Ratings Can Help You Improve Your Business

Like any other complaint, a bad review is a learning experience. Your customers are giving your free suggestions on how to improve your products and services. Think about it – large companies spend millions on customer survey’s to find out what their prospects want and what they can do to improve their business. You are getting all this information for free.

If, for example, multiple reviews reference a bad user experience, look into the cause and take actions to ensure the bad experience won’t be repeated. Use these negative reviews as an opportunity to improve your business and increase customer satisfaction. Mention what steps have been taken to take care of the issue and let your customers know you are focusing on providing stellar experiences.

2. Negative Reviews Make You Look Real

It may sound odd, but negative reviews can actually make your business more trustworthy. When it comes to online reviews, prospective customers want to see both, positive and negative reviews. In fact, if there are no unfavorable comments at all, consumers might get suspicious.

According to a study from Reevoo, cited by Search Engine Journal, 68% of consumers trusted Yelp pages more when there was a mix of good and bad reviews. If they read only positive reviews, 30% of customers become suspicious of censorship or excessive editing.

The truth is that most prospective customers read online reviews before making a purchase and many small business owners believe that bad ratings will drive them away. Consequently, a common practice for businesses is to fake reviews in response to a bad rating. But, your customers expect to see both negative and positive reviews and they want to see them. That way they can make sure your business is professional and trustworthy. The key here is that there is only a small percentage of negative to positive reviews.

3. They Are an Opportunity to Highlight Your Stellar Customer Service

Customers trust brands that interact with them in a positive way. In fact, according to a study from NM Incite, 71% of clients who have a good customer service experience are more likely to recommend that business to others.

You can use bad ratings to showcase your excellent customer service. If a customer had a bad experience, promptly respond to the complaint and make sure you fully address the issue. Direct the client to a private channel and have a one-on-one discussion about the issue and ensure that the bad experience won’t be repeated.

If you handle bad reviews properly, you can turn unsatisfied customers into brand advocates.

When it comes to online reputation, even a bad review can be good. What really matters is how you handle it to improve your small business and customer experience.

Have you ever thought of negative reviews as a way to improve your business?