How to Fix Bad Google Reviews

9 out of 10 customers read reviews before visiting a business, so having positive reviews can do wonders for your business. Google Reviews is a popular place for this purpose (not sure what is Google Reviews and the steps? Read here)

However, every business owner’s nightmare is to have your hard earned reputation tarnished by a bad or even fake review left by a grumpy customer.

If you do find yourself at the receiving end of a bad review, follow these steps to fix it:

• Don’t panic: You may be compelled to give the reviewer a piece of your mind, but please don’t. Every company that has been operating for some time is bound to get a negative review. A bad review is not the end of the world.
• Evaluate the situation: Start investigating if the review is real. Fake negative reviews are often left by competitors or random trolls on the internet. You need to double check and confirm if the reviewer is a real customer or not. If the review is fake, report it as a fake review to Google.
• Respond quickly: Always reply in 24 hours. Keep your response brief. Address the complaint, thank the customer and apologize for their experience.

Finally, offer to fix their problem and get in touch with them for more information.

• If the review is fake, say that you can’t seem to find their records in your system. But offer to fix their problem anyway.
• Rectify the situation: If you’re always getting bad reviews, it’s not the customer’s problem. It’s you. Make good on your promises and put in the effort to fix your problem, even if it’s hard. If you’re not satisfying your customers, you’re gonna have bigger problems down the road.
• Follow up: Follow up with the negative review. Were the customer’s complaints addressed properly? Did you rectify or refund the customer? Was the case closed to the customer’s satisfaction?

Doing this can actually turn a bad review into a good review if you are able to resolve the customer’s issues in a timely manner.