Angry with bad online reviews ? Here are some tips to handle them

Being an avid food lover, I was introduced to this app known as Urbanspoon upon my arrival in Melbourne. Known for great eateries and cafes, Urbanspoon is THE app that everyone uses to check out new restaurants/pubs/eateries in this vibrant city, Melbourne.

The homepage of Urbanspoon

While I have found that the reviews usually reflect the level of the quality (my rule of thumb is a rating of >85%!), it also got me thinking that restaurant/business owners need to be more mindful of their online businesses reputation.

User review sites and app has taken a skyrocket climb as it is often deemed as a more honest and accurate representation of the product/service compared to a traditional advertisement. 

In fact a recent survey by Yellow Pages shows that users, on average, would expect to read 4 reviews before making a purchase decision, and online reviews and blogs are up 6% in the past year.

Given this, the user review sites are also subject to manipulation as it is oftentimes accessible practically anyone and also avoids the face-to-face confrontation. From genuine disgruntled customers to competitors, businesses need to be more aware of their online reputation as it can be a key determinant to the success or failure of their businesses. 

So what are some of the things that businesses can do when faced with bad reviews ?

 1)      Private message the reviewer to clarify this.

Most of the user review sites allows business owners to private message users to clarify these problems. While some reviews may stem from facts such as giving reviews to the wrong restaurants, however, this can also be seen as an avenue to collect valuable feedback from customers to improve on its future business operations.

    2)      Be proactive because being reactive can hurt your business (not to mention emotionally draining you!)

     Notice how like in real life, people tend to bad-mouth and say nasty things about you ? 

                               

     The same case applies in the online world as well. Better yet, the online platform is virtual with no real personal interaction involved, making it a ‘great’ avenue for haters or face-to-face confrontations. By responding publicly to negative reviews not only tells reviewers that you are watching them in this online space, chances are they are also more likely to write something more objective and truthful in the future.

    3) Establish an online presence (one they can fully control!)

Businesses, especially small businesses should look into social media, in this case, Facebook, to reach out to customers.  More importantly they need to establish a stand/presence in the online world. While businesses cannot control the content and information that disseminates in the Internet, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are excellent platforms to convey (and fully control) the desirable image of your product/service to the world.

Also, have you ever wondered why certain restaurants consistently remain on the “Urbanspoon Top Picks” ? First example is Chin Chin, the buzz fusion Thai restaurant in the city. Apparently, the article here revealed that a social media specialist is hired to handle their channels, which obviously generated positive returns on their business. Other companies, such as the giant telecommunication company, Telstra, have set up a team that monitors the online reputation of the company 24/7.

In all, social media is seen as an important and growing platform that business must start looking into. The last and worst thing that could have happen is a failing business without even realizing the true cause (impact of bad reviews) !