You work hard and do your best, so finding that a customer has left a bad review of your business can be terribly disheartening. What is the best way to handle a review that poorly reflects your business?
First off, remember that any response you make will be visible to the public. Keep your answer professional, and consider how your words will influence someone who has never met you.
Responding to the review as soon as possible is best so that people reading the adverse notice can see your reply. This will help them to form their own opinion. Although the review might feel very personal, remember that this is business, and your answer should reflect that. Your response should be courteous, even if the review is mean and unfair.
Consider if there is any merit to the complaint. Try to put yourself in the customer's position to see how they might have felt about their interaction with your business. Is there something you could have done better or differently? If so, be honest about the problem and offer a solution to ensure that what went wrong won't happen again. If you did make a mistake, offer a sincere apology.
Offer to talk in person to the customer to see if you can come to a solution to the problem that will leave both of you feeling better about the situation. Show that you are taking the complaint seriously and that you sincerely want to rectify whatever it was that they were unhappy with.
An example is, "Mr. C- I am so sorry you felt our grooming fees were too high. Our price structure is based on our years of experience and skill and the high-quality, professional tools and products we use on every pet. In this case, we had to charge more than is typical for a similar dog because your pet had not been professionally groomed for an extended period and required extra time and attention to his coat. We would be happy to discuss getting your pet on a regular grooming schedule, ensuring he looks and feels his best, and preventing the fees required to tackle postponed grooming."
Responding to good reviews is good practice, too. That 5-star review with a ringing endorsement deserves a "Thanks so much! We love seeing Mandy on our schedule and hope to see you both again soon!"
If you believe that a negative review is false or misleading, you can try to have it removed from the site where it is posted.
Reviews, both good and bad, are tools and should be viewed as such. They can point out where we are excelling and where we can improve.
