These days, clients can quickly assess a product, service or buying experience online. And that’s a good thing! Consumers can imagine what a purchase would be like, read credible comments about other people’s experiences and make use of known facts. This all contributes to their decision to buy (or not buy). But what should you do if you have negative reviews? How can you take advantage of them as an e-commerce seller? Read on to find out!
What to do with negative online reviews
As is the way, things don’t always work out as planned when you develop a new product. Mistakes can happen, unfortunately leading to unhappy users leaving negative ratings and reviews.
The best way to manage the situation professionally is to act fast and take negative reviews seriously. You can even turn things around and use it at your advantage.
1. Respond quickly
A bad review could damage your online reputation—absolutely. But it could also help you improve your product or fix potential internal issues. The best course of action to make the client happy is to respond as soon as you receive their feedback. Your clients and prospects will value your responsiveness. And it goes without saying that you must respond politely.
2. Show empathy
Empathy and compassion are qualities that will take you far when it comes to managing e-commerce customer relations. Before writing your response, picture yourself in your client’s shoes. Take the time to explain how you are going to improve the situation and prevent the issue from happening again. Finally, thank them for their useful feedback.
Of course, things aren’t always the seller’s fault! If a client is unhappy because there has been a misunderstanding, clearly explain the situation and set forth your resolutions to make sure such misunderstandings don’t happen again.
3. Suggest specific solutions
If the client is unhappy for good reason, try restoring their faith in your brand by suggesting specific solutions.
For example, offer 10% off their next purchase or free postage to return the product (if returns are normally paid for). This gesture is sure to win over any client who feels unfairly treated or disappointed. Other potential clients will also take your public response and efforts into account.
Example responses to negative reviews
Never know how to respond to negative reviews from clients? The best idea is to personalise your message for each situation. If you need some inspiration, here are 3 example responses to negative reviews:
“Thank you for your review. We’re sorry you had this experience and apologise for the incident. We will be correcting the mistake immediately and will confirm when this is done.”
“Hello. Thank you for your feedback. We weren’t aware of the problem, but will do all we can to improve the process. We are sorry for the inconvenience you have suffered. Please contact our customer services team so we can make it up to you.”
“We have received your review and forwarded it to the relevant team. We are very sorry to learn that you aren’t completely satisfied with our electric bike and have had problems with the brakes. We will be investigating immediately to stop this happening again.”
If you are this polite and show you are learning from your mistakes, you will receive fewer negative reviews with time. You will also inevitably get more good reviews and future feedback will be on a positive note.
So, use the opportunity to win over new clients.
Take advantage of your positive reviews!
Taking advantage of your negative reviews is one thing. But if you want your e-commerce website to be the best in its sector, you shouldn’t forget your positive reviews!
Here are some ways to showcase your good reviews:
- Respond to good reviews, not just to bad ones;
- Add good reviews to your website homepage;
- Create a Google Business Profile to get more reviews;
- Email your clients to encourage them to review their purchase/experience;
- Respond to clients in their mother tongue.
It’s always nicer to receive a reply in your own language. This helps clients understand and shows you care about your relationship with them. And if you happen to lack the language skills to communicate in Russian or Portuguese, our qualified translators are here to help.
Example responses to good reviews
The more good reviews you get, the better your brand image and online reputation will be. By responding to every bit of client feedback, you will be seen as completely trustworthy.
Here are some example responses to use if you need some inspiration:
“Thank you for your feedback! We’re delighted you felt so welcome at our store and are pleased to have you as one of our happy customers.”
“We’re delighted you like our service. Thank you on behalf of the whole team. We look forward to seeing you when you next visit us.”
“You’re right, our customer service is one of our strong points because our clients are our main focus. It’s wonderful to hear your honest feedback. Thank you and see you again soon!”
How to showcase positive reviews on your e-commerce website
It’s important to use positive reviews wisely in your e-marketing strategy.
First, find somewhere on your website to put them. This could be a special tab or a section called “What Clients Say” on your homepage. You could have 3, 5 or 10 good reviews static on your website or perhaps make them move across the page. It’s up to you!
You can also use good reviews on social media as long as you get the client’s permission. For example, you could write a LinkedIn post explaining how gratifying it is to get good reviews.
This will encourage prospects to buy your products and/or services, and your clients to leave positive feedback.
Conclusion: how to manage negative reviews
To summarise, both positive and negative reviews are excellent for your branding. They provide consumers with reliable information, which represents true added value.
So, make sure to invite all your clients to add comments and ratings to your products!
If you get a bad review, you should be responsive, authentic and coherent with your reply. Finally, remember that the more client reviews you have with responses, the more appealing you will look to consumers.
Have a website translated into multiple languages? Then make sure responses to client reviews are also in the right language. For example, if someone writes in Japanese, you need to reply in Japanese.
Need a translation service to translate your responses to client reviews? Contact TextMaster.
