How to Manage Negative Comments and Reviews Positively?

All owners want to see positive comments and reviews about their business. However, the truth is that we do not live in a ‘perfect’ world. So, if you get positive feedback, then it is quite obvious that you will get negative reviews as well no matter how hard you try to please your targeted audience. Since there is no sure way around, so bad reviews and feedback will happen!

Negative reviews and comments can indeed be painful, both financially and emotionally. You can utilize the online reputation management services and integrate the powerful ways listed here to turn negative comments into positive engagement:

1. Listen Carefully
When you are getting negative comments and reviews, you need to listen carefully without interrupting. Distinguish the accuracy of the reviews and comments received. Few people are expert enough at presenting even negative comments in a way that makes the receiver feel comfortable accepting what is being said. So, without getting disheartened, try to listen and analyze it.

2. Never Take Negative Feedback and Comments Personally
Do not take such feedbacks and comments as a personal attack and do not get defensive. See, it is human nature to react quickly to negative comments. The key to cope with this by distancing your emotions and taking those remarks as you would listen to the advice given by a doctor. Next, always accept negative reviews and comments with gratitude and openness.

3. Do Not Try to Prove Others Wrong
We all become close-minded to the necessary information hidden in the poorly and negatively presented feedback when we try to prove others wrong. When a criticizer is factually incorrect, then your response would be ‘You Are Wrong! However, this won’t be helpful until you have the right facts to show. Always listen to others without planning your answer. Just nodding until they have finished as it will ensure that your counterparts have said everything intended.

4. Ask as Many as Questions
Questions can greatly help the other people communicate clearly irrespective of their core message. So, asking questions will help you eliminate the appearance of defensiveness and keep you from quickly jumping in to clarify your actions. However, it is essential to ask the right questions because if you do not, you will not get the right answers. A good online reputation management service provider prepares the list of some relevant questions and tries to find the right answers to it.

5. Put Yourself in the Customers’ Shoes
You cannot deliver the right solutions all the time, but you can deliver empathy! By putting yourself in the customers’ shoes, you will get a chance to have a context that helps you do your job in a better way. You need to understand what your customers are going through and the problems they are facing every day. Convey that you truly understand how the customers feel! You can use phrases such as ‘I would be frustrated too’!

6. Ask for Time
Just find out some time to collect all your thoughts. Think cautiously about what you want to reply to and what impact it may have. Undeniably, it is important to respond quickly but it is equally essential not to react defensively! So what is the solution? Ask them to allow you some time to respond properly. During this time, absorbed what has been posted by the customers and determine how fine the criticism is! If you are answering negative comments publicly, you must answer appropriately as many people will see it and one single mistake can lead to many negative reviews.

Closing Remarks
No doubt, negative reviews and comments suck. Since not all people have the same mind, your brand and content may get harsh Facebook posts, angry tweets, or blog/article comment trolls. So, do not worry if you get such reviews for your brand. Avail of the best online reputation management services and follow the points listed above to deal with such comments efficiently.

Source - steemit.com