Customer reviews can be one of the most powerful ways to attract new customers, and Facebook business pages have the option to feature a reviews box directly on their page. The customer can rate the company on a scale of 1-5 stars. These ratings will give an overall score that can be found underneath the company name, at the top of the page.
Recently, Facebook has made changes to how this feature works. When the feature was first announced, companies were able to hide or comment on the review, though after a period of time Facebook disabled this option completely, leaving some business page users frustrated—as their only option to remove unfair reviews was to delete the review option completely.
It seems that after much complaining, Facebook has decided to make some changes: Now, page admins can respond to the review, though they are still unable to hide them.
The Brandon Agency’s social media team has three simple recommendations to follow when it comes to responding to negative Facebook reviews:
1.) ALWAYS respond: It’s very important to always respond to any negative feedback that appears on the page. Typically, when a customer writes a bad review all they really want is to be heard. A good rule of thumb is respond to the review within a 24-hour window. This will also show the customer that you care about what they have to say and may help gain their trust back.
2.) Don’t get defensive: Whenever a customer comments on your business in a negative way, it can be extremely easy to become defensive. Don’t do it! Take the negative review and turn it into an opportunity. The feedback could very well point to something that needs changed within your company. If you are proactive in addressing the issue, it may also take the negative persons mindset and turn it positive.
3.) Take it offline: When responding to the customer review, ask them to send a private message to the page. This will give you and the customer the opportunity to communicate about the situation without it being posted publicly. Take the time to really listen to the customer and attempt to solve the problem. At a minimum, you are allowing the customer to be heard and demonstrate that you do value customer feedback—and keep in mind that other potential customers will likely be impressed by how you handle complaints if you do it well. If the customer ends up happy with how the situation is handled, you may even ask them to change their negative review to a positive one.
The reviews feature can provide the opportunity to take a negative customer and make them a happy one. It also helps the business see all the positive comments as well. It is very important to take negative reviews seriously and follow the steps provided. One of the most significant advantages of social media is the opportunity to gain immediate customer feedback. However, if you don’t have a planned approach to addressing and acting upon negative reviews, it can serve to work against your organization in the long run.