As a brand, client satisfaction is a necessity. According to PwC, 59% of customers will leave a company after several bad experiences, and 17% after one bad customer experience. With the world now moving digital, it is easier for clients and customers to express their thoughts, experience, and ratings online.

Unfortunately, not all ratings will be positive. To understand how to tactfully deal with bad reviews or negative comments one needs to understand the different types of negative reviews. There are two main types of negative reviews from genuine customers. These can be categorized into “disappointment” and merely “negativity.”

A disappointed customer is born from:

• A misunderstanding or mismatch of brand promise versus brand/product offering.
• The product\’s capabilities not matching what was expected.
• Poor customer experience and customer service staff.
• Product/service prices being perceived as exorbitant.

On the other hand, negativity it is just criticism from trolls. The online world can be a vile place. This applies individuals as well as brands. For as long as there have been online communities, beginning with bulletin board systems, there have been trolls.

Ways to Combat These Bad Reviews

Be responsive and timely

According to ReviewTrackers research: Companies aren’t responding fast enough (or at all) to reviews. 53% of customers expect businesses to respond to negative reviews within a week. 1 in 3 have a shorter time frame of 3 days or less. Customers today expect customer service to be prompt. To them, this shows that your brand is actively monitoring reviews and cares about what they have to say about your business, product, or service.

Be intentional in your response

Without doubt clients and customers want to be heard and understood. When responding it is important to pay attention to details:

• Use the person’s name to acknowledge them.
• Validate their emotion (even if you don’t agree with it)
• Emphasise that you value their feedback
• Address the comment directly and pleasantly.
• Offer to take the complaint offline to have a conversation if need be.

Don’t hit delete; resolve issues

Primarily transparency, openness, and good communication are the key. If they raise an issue, you need to resolve it quickly. Sometimes, a resolution can be as simple as a sincere apology or a refund. At other times, you need to make a change to your brand, ways of working, product/services, refocus, and reframe the content and conversation.

Follow up and reaffirm

It is always good to follow up after issues are resolved to show customers you care and value them. This way, you reinforce your commitment to great customer service and make consumers feel cared for.