One aspect of being online is dealing with reviews, both positive and negative, and while it might sound a bit backward to say, negative reviews aren’t always a bad thing.
The initial reaction to seeing a negative review associated with your company probably won’t be celebratory, as it’s assumed that one bad review could potentially keep other customers from wanting to go with your services.
However, negative reviews shouldn’t always be seen as a bad thing but instead as an avenue that shows companies how they can grow and become better for their customers.
Facing reviews head-on
It’s possible that since the onset of the pandemic you’ve seen your fair share of customers complaining about your inability to perform services for one reason or another, and it’s possible you’ve also received a negative comment or two online because of it.
Don’t fret if that’s the case. The best course of action is to remain calm and understand that emotions continue to run high during these uncertain times, and the best thing you can do is to respond to these comments with patience and professionalism.
The natural reaction when reading a negative review is typically to lash out and get defensive, as this type of feedback is usually seen as a personal attack. No one likes to feel that their business or quality of service is being called into question, and there’s also the added fear that negative reviews could keep other customers from giving you a chance.
However, if you lash out against your critics, you are proving that you are worthy of that negative review.
Start by addressing the concerns of the client and get as much information about the situation as you can to determine whether the issue was caused by your team members or an outside source. Next, apologize for any inconvenience they’ve experienced and let them know you will take care of their complaint as soon as possible. If you feel the need to, consider offering a discount on their next service to make it up to them and to ensure there’s no ill will.
This not only shows that your company actively engages with clients online, but it also shows that you are willing and able to follow through with rectifying any issues that occur, which only improves your reputation. It also opens up the possibility of that negative review turning into a good one.
On the bright side, one negative review amongst a host of positive reviews only highlights the number of good interactions your customers have had with your company. When a company has no negative reviews at all, it can start to look suspicious and make customers think the reviews are fake.
It can be tempting to simply ignore the bad reviews and not engage at all, as many times they have little to no validity to them, but try not to pass on these opportunities to change a negative to a positive.
Bad reviews can also help set realistic expectations on what services you do and don’t offer, which could help cut down on how many times you have to tell callers you don’t offer certain services.
At the end of the day, you can’t please every customer, and there’s no reason to spend copious amounts of time trying to help someone who only wants to complain. The best thing you can do is reach out and try to resolve the problem, and if they don’t want the problem fixed, move on. Being able to learn from mistakes and work through them will only make your landscaping company stronger in the end.
