While businesses desire a positive and stable reputation, not heeding negative feedback or preventing it from appearing on sites like Google and Yelp shows that business owners are asking for trouble. This process is known as review gating. As much as negativity damages a business’s brand image, it’s actually a blessing in disguise for them to stay motivated and do better the next time they interact with a customer. According to LinkedIn, “businesses and products can live and die by reviews.” Publicly soliciting feedback is the ideal and moral thing for a business to do with its customers. This blog will discuss the concept of review gating and how businesses can deal with reviews in an appropriate manner.
What is the Impact of Negative Reviews on a Business?
Businesses should proactively keep track of negative reviews online. According to Podium, “trust is one of the most important elements of business transactions.” When customers look up a particular brand, let’s say for clothing, they would want to ensure the reviews posted are an authentic and honest representation of the business. Bad reviews are not always a bad thing. Typically, customers tend to seek out negative reviews rather than positive ones to ensure brand authenticity. Being on the receiving end of a negative review isn’t just a benefit for the reviewer, but it’s also a benefit for any other customer that comes across in their search.
Appropriate Actions for Business Owners to Take
Allow the Negative Feedback
No customer experience is always going to be positive. Dealing with difficult customers is inevitable. Some just do it for the sake of getting attention while the remainder does it because they have genuine constructive feedback. While negative feedback might sound damaging for a business, it’s also a great motivator. There are no strategies for businesses to please every consumer that they come across. All businesses are bound to face rude and nasty customers. Emotions and stubbornness are a part of human nature. Business owners don’t always realize that behind that negative feedback, there is sometimes a hidden message that can help their business do better the next time they interact with an angry consumer.
Ask for Reviews on a Regular Basis
Proactively seeking feedback from customers on a frequent basis shows the humble side of your business. Businesses should be ready to face reality with their customers, no matter how ugly it is. According to LinkedIn, “failing to get reviews for your business is failing to run your business properly.” Customers are the lifeblood for a business to succeed. There is always room for praise and improvement for any brand in any industry. Brands grow with both positive and negative feedback. Seeking feedback, especially on a regular basis, shows that the business truly cares for its brand image and will go through any measures to keep it stable.
Respond to All Reviews
Reviewers make an effort to take the time out of their day to post a review for your brand. This is time that they won’t get back. According to LinkedIn, business owners should do their best to “thank people who have taken time to leave a great review.” It’ll also give them a chance to scroll through the negative feedback received as well. Should they come across a negative review, the right thing to do is to ask fact-based questions. This way the business can figure out how to do better the next time they come across a customer and what could have been done for the customer to have a more positive experience. Giving your full undivided attention to each review that has been posted shows that you want your business to thrive in the face of adversity and competition.
Take Responsibility for the Problems
Should a problem occur with a customer, the decent thing to do is to take responsibility for it. No one is immune to problems. There are so many issues that customers face with businesses, from increased pricing, to customer service concerns and logistics issues. Bad experiences can be lifelong memories. They might never go away. Customers tend to lean on social media to vent out their frustrations. One bad review can spread like wildfire. When it comes to the professional side of things, experts and critics may have good constructive feedback. However, some might just post negative comments for the sake of getting attention. Addressing such comments publicly as a brand shows the full picture of the brand and that you are not afraid to hide from the negativity.
Addressing the Issue of Review Gating with PxidaCX
Some companies like Google have essentially deemed review gating as an illegal activity. Shutting out reviews completely is nothing short of asking for serious trouble for your business. The great thing is that PxidaCX is a tool that will never hide customer feedback from your business, whether positive or negative. With a variety of customer satisfaction surveys, customers can honestly and openly express their thoughts and concerns to the businesses they frequent. Sign up for a free trial today!