Living in a digital age comes with its ups and downs and in the land of customer reviews, it's hard to ensure that your organization is represented accurately. The power of word-of-mouth is paramount for any business but online, your customers can see the good, the bad, and the ugly — and that's okay! It's how you respond as a company that matters.

According to Glance, it takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for one negative experience.

So how do you turn a negative comment into a positive outcome? 

First things first: you have to listen to the wise words of Taylor Swift and "Shake it Off." Accept that not everyone is going to be 100% satisfied with your product, service, or company at all times. Rather than view the negative feedback as a failure, try to consider it as one of these three opportunities. 

1. Fix an unforeseen issue

Sometimes a product or service can have issues that go unnoticed until fresh eyes have taken a peek. Your online audience includes millions of fresh eyes and powerful voices that will inform you of what's wrong. Stop, read, and consider what they have to say. They may provide a great idea to fix the problem before it becomes a larger issue.  

For example, let’s say you've gone to a new restaurant and ordered an entrée, but it's overcooked and does not meet expectations to what was advertised. You call over the server to explain the issue, and they take it back to the chef to fix it. The chef resolves the problem — you receive a new dish made to perfection, and your dining experience has been saved.

Now think about if you didn't say anything. You would have sat at dinner dwelling on how awful your meal was and possibly turned to a public outlet to advise everyone not to ever eat at that particular restaurant. 

Negative reviews can be like a bad dining experience. If the issue is not addressed, a bigger issue can arise that may quickly spiral out of your control. So, welcome all constructive criticism.  

2. A chance to connect with customers 

In the words of American entrepreneur Alan Weiss, "Ask your customers to be part of the solution, and don't view them as part of the problem." 

Negative reviews are a great opportunity to connect one-on-one with your customers and directly address their concerns and offer help. Not only will this make the negative reviewers feel valued and heard, but it will also show the online community you are actively listening.

This is no time for automated responses. It's essential to interact genuinely with your public. 

Don't stop at just answering poor reviews but be sure to respond to positive ones as well. Show your platform that you are a community, not a hierarchy.

3. Show your company culture 

Take this chance to let your company’s positive culture shine, showing customers you are inclusive and customer-focused. 

Don't be on the defense of negative reviews as this may be off-putting for customers who want to leave a positive review. Customers should feel comfortable and encouraged to leave reviews for you. Whether they are negative or positive, if you create a space that welcomes all individuals in an outlet to speak freely, then more people will want to leave positive comments and support your organization — even if a few negative reviews exist.

Remember to accept areas of improvement, embrace change, and welcome all potential opportunities to make a positive and impactful impression. 

Quickly turn negative reviews into a positive opportunity with ReviewMaxer. Watch the ReviewMaxer demo today.

Photo by Chris Liverani on Unspash