We all have been there.

And know that sinking feeling when your inbox banners in a 1-star review notification. Gosh darn it, and their story isn’t even accurate; they left out so many details leading up to this issue, painting your company as a bad guy. We pour ourselves into our businesses, and that attack feels personal, and their story is blown way out of proportion. And all of our 5-star reviews and happy customers are forgotten about. 

Did you know that 17% of Yelp reviews are 1-star ratings? 1-star reviews are more common than you may think; however, they never feel good, nor do they bode well for your ratings, because they count against your Google rankings, potentially driving away prospective customers and occasionally giving pause to current customers who may begin to seek out another shop for auto repair services. Preserving your reputation is one good reason to respond to 1-star reviews. A well-thought-out written response can bring in business and build customer loyalty and ideally also salvage your relationship with that unhappy customer.

The message you send through your reply can be a powerful tool. Not only can you have the potential to convert your disgruntled customer into a raving fan, but you also have the opportunity to set your company’s tone and show the world how you manage a difficult situation. Did you know that 96% of people who read reviews also read the responses? This means that every response is an opportunity to convert a shopper into a customer. This is a response opportunity to convert a shopper into a customer.

What, if anything, should we do next? Here is how we suggest handling 1-star review posts.

Contact them directly

We suggest first trying to contact your client by phone to see if you can make things right with them, and naturally, it would follow for them to remove their 1-star review. Things go wrong in every business, and often, by addressing the issue directly and showing sincerity in your attempt to acknowledge and correct the mishap, you come out with a stronger relationship and often end up with a raving fan on your side.

How do I respond to their review?

Take the time to think about the interaction from their perspective and make it about them. This is their experience and is their way of venting and possibly even inviting you to reach out with an olive branch. How do we make peace with a hurting individual? By acknowledging and validating them, making them feel heard, addressing their concern, and inviting them to interact to make things right. It is important to thank them for taking the time to share their experience so you have an opportunity to engage further and develop a deeper relationship. Going through something together and coming out the other side often builds a deeper connection and increased loyalty.

Thank them for reviewing your company

Find a way to express gratitude and thank them for taking the time to provide you with a learning opportunity. Even though you are not thrilled to have a 1-star review, it is important to validate the reviewer and acknowledge them for taking the time to provide feedback. This simple step alone shows professionalism and courtesy, which bodes well with relationship building from all directions.

Acknowledge, Empathize, and Apologize 

This can be a tricky thing to navigate. However, it is important to master. You do not want to look unprofessional by apologizing profusely, and you also want to avoid coming across as disingenuous. You want your customer to feel validated and heard, and you want them to feel that you are taking responsibility for what went sideways. 

So, what is the best way to write an apology? Keep it concise. A response like “We apologize on behalf of everyone at our shop. We always aim to deliver a great experience. We’re normally known for our exceptional attention to detail, your situation was an exception, and we regret that we missed the mark. You have our commitment to improving the way our staff serves every customer, and we will use your experience as a training opportunity with our team to ensure that this won’t happen again. Please give us a call at your earliest convenience. We ask that you accept our sincerest apologies on behalf of everyone on the team.” this shows that in your apology, you are committed to taking action, validating the customer, and we will use this as a training opportunity. This also helps shift the focus from a mistake to your dedication to improving the customer experience, reframing the 1-star review into an opportunity to focus on showing your dedication to providing superior customer service.

Take the conversation offline

In the above review response, we have asked the customer to contact us at their earliest convenience; this provides the customer the opportunity to vent offline, you the opportunity to correct the mistake, come up with a resolution, and provide the customer reassurance that you are sincere. 

We want to encourage you to respond to a 1-star review even if you have resolved the issue offline; this allows other consumers to see how you handle difficult situations. Protecting your reputation is vital, and no matter if the comments and reviews are positive or negative, they get seen by hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. If you are feeling stuck and want help crafting a response, the team at Bird’s iSocial is here to help you; feel free to reach out!