77% of UK shoppers consult reviews online before making a purchase – econsultancy.com. Naturally we recommend to our clients that they should welcome customer reviews and police them regularly because they’re an important part of the customer journey. They help to reassure a potential customer by providing actual user experiences and not just bold claims from the business itself.

However, we always get the same response from our clients, “but what if I get a negative one?”. Believe it or not negative reviews are a GOOD THING. Would you rather an unhappy customer go and bad mouth you to all of their colleagues and friends or come to you with a negative review, providing you with the opportunity to put it right?

  1. Turn a negative into a positive

    A customer has taken the time to provide you with feedback. It might not be what you want to hear but it is a golden opportunity to intercept an unhappy customer and put things right. Handling a complaint promptly and efficiently will show that you care and ensure that your customer goes away feeling happy that the issue was resolved. They may even comment on your ability to handle complaints to colleagues and friends – building your corporate reputation.

    According to Trustpilot around 95% of customers will return if an issue is resolved quickly and efficiently.

  2. 100% of positive reviews are suspicious

    Many people would see a perfect review history as suspicious. It is very normal and acceptable for a business to fall off the ball. But I believe it’s how you come back from this that really counts. 30% of people suspect foul play when they don’t see anything negative at all

  3. Showing prospects that you care

    When I consult reviews before making a purchase, if I notice that the business has responded quickly and in the right way it gives me faith and trust that in the event of a mishap my query will be dealt with and taken seriously. If a business has chosen to ignore reviews or doesn’t have a review facility I’d be likely to use a business that has cared enough to actively seek out unhappy customers and put things right.

  4. An opportunity to improve

    Businesses invest thousands of pounds in customer research programmes but this information can be accessed for nothing on review sites. An unhappy customer may have spotted a flaw in your system or product that you have missed and you can work on fixing it and improve your business.

“A bad review among a host of good ones shouldn’t be seen as an inkblot on your record but simply a sign that all businesses make mistakes; that we’re all human. It’s how you deal with a bad write up that counts”

Trustpilot