What to Do When You Get a Bad Online Review

Knowing what to do when you get a bad online review is important for any brand/business.
You could get a bad review on Google My Business page, Facebook Business page, Yelp, and you start to panic. The review is out there for everyone to see.
It’s easy to get discouraged when this happens, but don’t get in your head about it. Almost every business is going to deal with a bad review online.
So when you are in a state of despair remember:

• Many businesses get bad online reviews 
  
• You can take positive action
  

Responding to a Bad ReviewSo which reviews should you respond to? If a review includes minor complaints about factual findings, no response can be the right response. If you just can’t help yourself from responding then keep it short and express gratitude for their feedback.
There are vicious reviews that are completely untrue. If this is the case, you may be able to get the review taken down. Google has a policy that forbids fake reviews. See if the platform the reviews is on has a policy like that.
Then there are the reviews that are 100 percent accurate and bring up reasons why future customers should be concerned. In this case you need to be honest with yourself. Take ownership of your mistakes and do whatever it takes to make things better.
Once you’ve taken constructive action to make a positive change, respond to this review, thanking them for the feedback. Tell them that you have since taken care of the situation.
Here are some general guidelines for dealing with bad online reviews:

• Express gratitude to the reviewer
  
• Don’t respond out of anger
  
• Imagine the reviewer is talking to you in person
  
• Try to make things right offline
  
• Only respond to genuine concerns
  

Remember, bad reviews are something to be avoided when possible. That’s why you need to focus on creating a good customer experience.