What happens when a negative review pops up about your business, or even worse, the review is from a current or former employee? A negative review can impact both customers and potential hires, shaping how your business is perceived. Instead of just damage control, learn how to use it as an opportunity to strengthen your company’s reputation, improve workplace culture, and show why your business is a great place to work.
Importance of a Negative Review
Reviews play a crucial role in attracting customers. When people are deciding somewhere to take their business, they often look at reviews. A negative review can drive someone away. It makes your business stand out - and not in a good way!
When a negative review comes from a current or former employee, it can have an even greater impact, affecting your ability to attract top talent. People want to work in positive environments, and a bad review can make their decision to look elsewhere even easier. In today’s competitive hiring landscape, businesses risk losing great candidates without even realizing it. Maintaining a strong, consistent brand message online and addressing negative feedback effectively can help protect your reputation and ensure your company remains an appealing place to work.
How to Find Negative Reviews
So where do you find negative reviews in the first place? They’re easier to spot than you think! Here are the common places for customers and employees to leave reviews.
- Social media – You can find reviews on someone’s personal social media page or on your actual business social media page. This can include Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and even TikTok.
- Hiring websites – Some of the most common hiring sites to allow employee reviews include, Indeed and Glassdoor.
- Common review sites – These sites include anywhere customers can leave a review, like Google, Yelp, and Trip Advisor.
Create Social Media Response Policy
If you found a negative review, it can be easy to want to defend your company. However, that may not always be the wisest decision. Instead, take time to calmly develop an action plan for the review. You’ll want to present your company in the best light possible. Create an online response policy that guides each response you make. A helpful response model goes like this:
- Illustrate how you take the feedback sincerely and seriously.
- Provide a solution, whether that be scheduling time to talk to them or giving them a discount.
- Include insight from the company perspective without a defensive tone.
Learn From the Review
A key takeaway from a negative review is to truly reflect on the comment made. Are your customers or employees unhappy? Did that person have a valid reason for the negative review? Or is there a bigger issue you need to address? Sometimes deciding the answer to the issue isn’t straightforward but figuring out a solution is important. Make it clear to your current employees that their opinions are valid, and you are addressing the negative review. Also, take time to share to your customers that your company has progressed from any negative event, and created a comfortable space for everybody.
Try to Remove the Review
While it’s important to learn from the review, it’s equally important to try and get the negative review removed. This is not an easy task, depending on which platform someone left the review. Each platform has its own rules and ways to remove unwanted posts. Other instances may require you to reach out to the individual and personally ask them to remove the comment. Often, that can be an easier route than working with the online platforms.
Make it Clear Why Your Business is Great Choice for Customers and Employees
Create social media posts that highlight the positive impact your company makes, whether that is using sustainable materials in your products or donating portions of sales to charities. This can help customers recognize your brand for spreading kindness, and make them more likely to shop there.
Also, create a page on your website explaining why people should apply to your business. On that webpage, be sure to include:
- What the company environment is like.
- Company benefits and perks.
- Testimonials for why current employees work there.
- Pictures from events and employees working.
- Easy access to apply for a job.
You can also extend this information past your website onto social media, and through community outreach. The goal is for your company to become a desirable place to apply and shop. You can do all of this by simply showing you care about your employees and customers.
