No matter how you run your business, some of your reviews will be negative. Negative reviews are the worst, if you do not know how to react, things can quickly get ugly. If you do not know how to deal with bullying online and respond to negative reviews online, the following tips should help you.

Look for commonalities

First, do not be too harsh on yourself to get a negative opinion if it is a rare experience. You cannot please everyone, and not everyone will enjoy every aspect of your business. It is important to note that not all comments are beneficial. When reading reviews, first look for topics or repeated complaints. The most common word in online negative reviews is “disappointed”, which implies that customers had higher expectations than what was offered. Once you have identified the models, determine which product or service is causing problems for your customers. Yelp reviews can be very helpful as the website highlights the words mentioned by several customers. Once you’ve determined which aspect of your business needs improvement, you need to think about solutions and evaluate the results. For example, if you have a problem with customer service, think about the steps you can take to improve your employees. Do you need additional training? Disciplinary action? If it’s that bad, the termination? The most important thing is to learn from negative feedback. Do not take it too personally. In the end, this kind of (public) criticism should serve as a framework for the development of your business.

Respond quickly

• The next step is to respond professionally to complaints. If customers write a review or try to make contact through social media, they expect to get a quick response. Make sure you read all reviews posted online. Do not let anger and frustration guide you in your response. Let the cooler heads win. If necessary, excuse yourself by saying that you apologize for your experience and explain how unusual this is in your business. Consider offering a special offer or discount on their purchase. Reacting to negative reviews not only helps reassure an angry customer, but can also help expand your business and present it in a new light. JetBlue is a fantastic example of how to meet customers. They are known for their speed in answering questions and complaints through social media. In addition to answering questions, they use these answers to promote their image and their unique brand.

Take action.

• It’s one thing to watch critics and answer. Adjusting your business model and customer experience is therefore another ballgame. Every business wants to be known as the one who listens to its customers. If you’ve noticed significant trends in customer feedback, you’ll need to take the appropriate steps to trigger a positive change. Inaction can have long-term consequences for the opinions of customers. An excellent example of a company that has heard and learned from its customers is the mobile app Dragon Rivals. After the first release, many customers said the game was too difficult and complicated. 1 Touch Studios, the developers of the app, have taken the detailed advice of their customers into account and simplified the game for the next update. Then they made sure their previous customers knew it. 1 Touch Studios answered almost all the negative reviews, apologized for the unwanted experience and explained the changes made to improve the game. The new version of Dragon Rivals quickly received higher ratings and more customers. Satisfied because they listened to their audience and responded appropriately. Negative opinions can have a very strong influence on potential customers. However, this does not mean the end of business. You just need to react properly.