94% of consumers have avoided a company because of a bad review. If you don’t stay on top of them, bad reviews can cause serious harm to your spa business. Here’s how to handle negative online reviews like a pro.
If you are not staying on top of your spa’s online reviews, you need to start now. Reviews can make or break a business in 2022.
Some online review statistics:
- Star ratings matter more to shoppers than volume of reviews (Findstack)
- 72% of customers use Google reviews to find businesses (Findstack)
- 34% of shoppers always read online reviews (Findstack)
- Businesses with a minimum of 200 reviews generate twice as much revenue as those with fewer (Findstack)
- Customers are 21% more likely to leave a review after a negative experience (Findstack)
- 94% of consumers have avoided a company because of a bad review (Findstack)
- Customers don’t trust companies with lower than 4-star ratings (Reviewtrackers)
There are so many reasons to do what you can to manage your online reviews, which includes doing what you can to reduce the volume of negative ones and handing the exercise like a pro.
Tips for handling negative online reviews like a pro include the following:
Ask yourself if there is truth to the review
Respond to the review
Be nice
Apologize
Take it offline
Make amends
Say thank you
Bury bad reviews under good ones
Let’s look at each of these strategies individually and why they work.
Here are 8 tips for handling negative online reviews like a pro
Ask yourself if there is truth to the review
Before you do anything, drop your defenses and ask yourself if the bad review is justified. Before jumping to the conclusion that the reviewer is just some disgruntled jerk, read it carefully and examine the content. We hate to admit when we’re wrong or when we might have made a mistake, but is it possible that the reviewer has a valid grievance? Do you need to take a look at your guest experience, your service providers, your processes, or something else?
Respond to the review
Don’t ignore a negative review and assume you have no control over these things. In a survey, more than half of respondents said they have changed their opinion about a business because of how the business responded to a review and 53% expect brands to respond to negative reviews within seven days, while one third expects a response in three days.
You should respond to all online reviews, including positive ones. This helps you build relationships and shows that you are engaged with your customers, even after they leave your spa or resort. Respond to positive reviews with thanks and to negative ones with concern and curiosity.
Be nice
Never get defensive in your response to the review or go on the attack. It will only make you look like a jerk and give credence to what the reviewer is saying. Remember that he/she who gets mad first loses. Be gracious and kind, no matter how absurd you might think the reviewer’s opinion is. Don’t get personal or insulting. If you know who the person is (you might not if they are posting anonymously and you don’t recall an incident) you might address the specific complaint but don’t attack the individual.
Apologize
You don’t have to apologize for any wrongdoing that did not take place but you can apologize because you’re sorry the reviewer is not happy. Be sincere. Apologies can be an effective means of disarming the aggrieved party by forcing the person to shift to an attitude of magnanimity in order to maintain their power position. If you are effusive enough in your apology, there is no point in continuing to attack you as it starts to make them look and feel petty. So, be sorry.
Take it offline
If you can get the person to discuss the matter with you out of the public eye, do so. Ask them to get in touch so you can talk further. If you know who they are, take it upon yourself to reach out by email or phone. This is always a better option.
Make amends
If there is something you can do to make it up to the person, offer to do so. Can you mollify the guest with a free massage, gift, or upgrade? The cost of this will probably be negligible compared to the damage a bad review can do. You might think it’s just one bad review, and this may be true, but it’s better to take these things in hand before they get out of hand. One bad review can become several before you know it. So, it’s better to turn people into advocates. That being said, don’t give the person the impression that you’re only making amends with the hope they will change their review, as that can backfire.
Say thank you
No matter what happens, thank the customer for their feedback and for sharing their experience. You might also thank them for bringing gaps in your customer experience to your attention. Try to offer the thanks from a place of real gratitude rather than through gritted teeth.
Know when to walk away
Sometimes, as Kenny Rogers said, you gotta know when to fold ’em and when to walk away. If a person will not be mollified, you’ll have to live with the negative review and move on with your life.
Bury bad reviews under good ones
Finally, as we saw above, people are more likely to leave a bad review after a negative experience than a good one after a positive experience. So, it is a good idea to encourage people to leave good ones. Sending out NPS (net promoter score) surveys after treatments will allow you to determine whether someone is pleased with their experience and a good candidate to leave you a good review. If they are happy, send a link to a review site and ask them to leave one.
You should also be constantly working to ensure that your guest experience is above reproach and that your customers are getting the value of what they are spending. Particularly in luxury hospitality environments, your entire service journey should be exquisite from end to end.
At the end of the day, the best tip for handling negative online reviews like a pro is to avoid them in the first place.
Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.