We all know that life happens and you can’t always make everyone happy. As a business owner, this can be a tricky thing to deal with. 

Reviews have a lot of power for businesses and it’s important to address all of them with care, especially the negative ones! Customer feedback impacts public perception of your brand and future clients. People want to buy from folks they trust can do the job, deliver good products, and follow through on their promises. Mistakes happen. It’s how you recognize them and move ahead that counts.

To help you out, we’ve compiled some ways to tackle one of the most uncomfortable things an entrepreneur can face: negative feedback about a customer’s experience. 

OVERALL RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Address the Review ASAP: Respond to the negative review immediately to show your commitment to resolving the issue. Waiting weeks to answer is not advised, even if you want to put it off. 

2. Acknowledge the Feedback: Express appreciation for the client's feedback and acknowledge their dissatisfaction.

3. Apologize Again: Even if you've already apologized via email, apologize again publicly on the review platform to show sincerity.

4. Explain the Actions Taken: Mention that you've already sent an apology email and offered a refund to rectify the situation.

5. Offer Further Assistance: Reiterate your willingness to assist further and ask the client to contact you directly to discuss their concerns in more detail.

6. Maintain Professionalism: Keep your response polite, professional, and avoid getting defensive or confrontational. If this situation has brought up Big Feelings for you, tell your journal and/or a close confidant, not the whole world. The satisfaction of “giving them a piece of your mind” is short-lived.

7. Highlight Positive Aspects: If applicable, mention any positive experiences or feedback from other clients to provide context and balance to the review.

8. Encourage Updated Feedback: Invite the client to update their review based on any improvements or resolutions achieved after their initial feedback.

9. Monitor and Follow-Up: Keep an eye on the review platform for any updates from the client and follow up accordingly to ensure their concerns are fully addressed.

10. Learn and Improve: Use the feedback from the negative review as an opportunity to evaluate your services and make necessary improvements to prevent similar issues in the future. How did this happen and how can you improve? 

11. Stay True to Your Values: You started your brand to do something positive, right? Don’t let someone’s negative feedback derail you from that. Use your values and goals to keep on track as you move forward.

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SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR A RESPONSE TO A NEGATIVE REVIEW

Hi [Disgruntled Client]. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or dissatisfaction you experienced with our services. Your satisfaction is our top priority and we regret that we fell short of meeting your expectations.

We want to assure you that we take your concerns seriously. As mentioned in our previous email, we have already offered to issue a refund as a gesture of goodwill and are open to discussing that further. Additionally, we are continuously working to improve our services and your feedback will certainly help us in that process.

If there's anything else we can do to address your concerns or make things right, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly. Your satisfaction is important to us and we are committed to resolving this matter to the best of our ability.

Thank you again for sharing your feedback. We hope for the opportunity to regain your trust and serve you better in the future.