Unfortunately, no matter how outstanding your products might be, bad reviews are a fact of life for just about every business. You need to be prepared!

Here are five tips to help you minimize the impact of bad online reviews!

1. Sympathize with the customer’s concerns

When customers decide to write bad review, they are probably dealing with a situation they find extremely frustrating and they want to vent their aggravation. While responding, make sure customers feel heard and understood.  Show them that their opinion is important to you, and that you are truly sorry to hear that they had a negative experience, and that you are willing to do your best to solve the problem.

2. Don’t mention your business name in your response

Every time you use your business name in your responses, it increases the chances that these responses are going to be visible in the search engine results consumers receive when they are looking for your type of business online.  If you are thanking a customer for a good review, this could have a very positive impact. For negative reviews, however, the impact is reversed and you are actually making the damage worse.  You obviously don’t want to increases the chances that your potential customers will see your negative reviews before they see a good review.

3. Keep it short

In case of bad experiences it is better not to focus too much on the details of what happened in public. The response should address the problem in few sentences and focus more on solutions to a customer’s problem.

4. Keep it private after the first response.

One of the best things you can do when responding to a bad review, is to offer to customers a way to solve their problem privately. It’s best to have one of your customer service representatives or office managers contact the customer directly to address the matter. If done properly, this will show that you care about your customers’ opinions, and it will also prevent any further complaints from being discussed online.

5. Don’t forget the power of persuasion.

While writing your response, try to emphasize the fact that this bad experience is an exception and that it doesn’t reflect the experiences of most customers. That will reassure prospective customers      that  their experience with your business is likely to be a good one.

Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed this article. For more digital marketing tips, like us on Facebook and feel free to comment. We’d love to hear from you. Contact us here

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Small Business Saturday is a national campaign created by American Express in 2010. There is Cyber Monday and Black Friday – Small Business Saturday is a way to show support for our local small businesses during the holiday season.

Why shop small? According to Civic Economics, “on average, 48% of each purchase at local independent businesses is recirculated locally, compared to less than 14% of purchases at chain stores.” Therefore, even though small businesses may not generate as much money as big corporations, they play a vital role in maintaining a healthy local economy. In fact, research shows that 91% percent of small-business owners contributed to their community in the last year through volunteering, in-kind contributions, and direct cash donations, and that’s without counting the contributions these businesses make via paying local taxes. By supporting your local business, you are giving back to the community; join the Chamber in participating in Small Business Saturday on November 25, 2017.

Go out and ‘SHOP SMALL’ Beverly Hills!

Throughout the month of November, the Chamber will produce Small Business Saturday themed events, as well as inform our members of specials and deals through our newsletter and social posts. Please stay connected to learn more about the day. Subscribe here.

Small Business Saturday Festivities in Beverly Hills:

• Launch Party Mixer, Thursday, Nov. 9, 5-7pm, The Stinking Rose
  • Complimentary – to register, click here
  • Includes: special information and giveaways to Beverly Hills businesses
• Small Business Saturday Rally, Nov. 25, 9-10am, Beverly Canon Gardens
  • Includes: goodies and delicious treats from Sweet Beverly, giveaways and more
• Small Business Saturday Walk with the Mayor, Nov. 25, starting at 10am
  • Join the Mayor and a team from the Chamber to walk with us in support of our city’s small businesses
  • Look forward to the following business stops including but not limited to:
    • Get Threaded
    • Laduree
    • Nate’N Al
    • Gratitude Beverly Hills
    • Edelweiss Chocolates
    • Pussy and Pooch
    • Alfred
    • Official route TBA

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COMMUNITY SUPPORT:

The businesses awarded the Community Support award have shown altruism and respect in their support of the Beverly Hills community and beyond. Their contributions were recognized by hundreds of local voters, who felt these businesses internalize the value of giving back.

WINNER: HILTON & HYLAND REAL ESTATE
WINNER: BOBBE JOY MAKEUP STUDIO

ABOVE & BEYOND SERVICE & RELATIONS:

This award is given to the businesses who practice exceptional employer and employee relations, guest services, and neighborhood relations. These businesses are noted for not only providing outstanding service to their guests, but for holding their team in high regard.
WINNER: WALLIS ANNENBERG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
WINNER: PURE BARRE BEVERLY HILLS

INNOVATION:

This award goes to the businesses who continue to push the limit in the marketplace. These businesses are recognized for their creativity and success in implementing unique ideas in their practices.
WINNER: PUSSY & POOCH PET LIFESTYLE CENTER
WINNER: BUFFETGO

LEGACY AWARD IN MEMORY OF FRED HAYMAN

This year’s Legacy Award goes to the late Fred Hayman. Known as “Mr. Beverly Hills,” there is no better honoree for an award that celebrates a person’s lasting impact on the local business community.

Join us as we celebrate these amazing businesses on Thursday, March 30th at 6PM at the Beverly Wilshire, and be a part of the elegant evening that the whole town will be speaking about for months. For more information, please click here.

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