Marketing Mix – Leeann Froese

How to Deal With Negative Reviews and Online Trolls

If you follow the #bcwine hash tags and do some online listening, you will know that those who disagree with her have learned that Dr. Bonnie Henry owns shares in a BC winery, and the winery was absolutely bombarded with negative Trip Advisor and Google reviews. In response, there are a lot of people advocating for this winery and encouraging others to post positively, but it’s tough. These negative reviews can potentially hurt their reputation. However, whether it is negative or not, a review of any kind presents an opportunity. Here’s what I recommend:

Schedule a Regular Time to Check Reviews

First, you need to be paying attention regularly to see what is being said about you. Google alerts do not necessarily pick up mentions on other platforms, so you need to work this into your schedule. Think about Google, Yelp, Trip Advisor, Facebook, Cellar Tracker etc.

Acknowledge

Five star and positive reviews are wonderful and should be acknowledged, and so should anything negative, no matter how bad. Negative reviews with a response from you explaining can at least help to show that maybe the negative review was unwarranted. Personally, when I read negative reviews, I look to see how a company has responded. Gabrielle Brisbois, who we collaborate with at Town Hall Brands on social media for our shared clients, notes, “our era of distrust is driving demand for greater transparency from brands, and setting new communication standards.”

Being transparent and authentic across social media platforms is essential, especially when crafting an answer to negative comments. “If you ignore negative comments or delay your response, you may inadvertently back up adverse claims, and provide fuel to any fire these comments may have caused,” Brisbois explains.

Criticism Is a Gift

It seems counterintuitive but getting feedback of a mistake your business made or what you can do to be better should be considered a gift, as you can learn and grow from it. Real feedback can help you refine your offerings. Also, negative reviews counterbalance the positive ones. A business may want some negative reviews because it demonstrates that they’re a real business, especially when reviews can be purchased. Today’s consumers are savvy enough to figure out reviews for themselves. For example, if you go on Amazon and read a review before purchasing a product, how did the one or two negative reviews make you react when put against the five-star reviews? Did this impact the way you purchased your product?

Don’t Be Defensive

It can be hard to hear that someone had a bad experience or that your team messed up, and it can be uncomfortable when you need to address these situations internally. But don’t take this out on the person who left the review. Instead, reply and thank the person for their feedback. Note that their complaint is unfortunate and not your intent. Reiterate that a positive experience is always your goal and that this feedback can help you improve their future customer experience.

Take It Offline

Publicly respond and ask the person who posted the review to call or email you (and publicly provide these numbers) so you can have a private conversation to see how you can address their review/complaint. And then STOP. Going back and forth publicly online makes you look defensive. For customers that keep commenting, don’t take the bait. You have stated publicly what you will do, and provided the ways to get in touch. Many people, only brave at their keyboard, will not take it further. Giulia Sa Barreto, who does social media for our clients at Town Hall Brands, says, “For people that actually follow through, a 10-minute phone call can be much more effective in solving the problem than a huge back and forth on Facebook or in Messenger.”

Outline What You Will Do to Correct

Again, connecting offline about this is ideal. Since our clients are in hospitality and any bad reviews are mainly about service, we first acknowledge a complaint.

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/PCEQUIP/ @PCEQUIP @PRAIRIECOASTEQP PRAIRIECOASTEQUIPMENT.COM You can comment something like “Thank you Michelle for taking the time to share your experience. We always strive to offer an excellent experience and see this was not the case for you. Please call Sarah at 555-1234 or email XXXX@winery.com and we can see how we can make things right, so your next experience is a Five Star one.”

Once they call you, this is where you ask for the feedback (and again, remember this is a gift). Ask what could have been done better/differently? Apologize and ask if you can offer anything on return. Perhaps invite them back for a complimentary visit or send them a gift. A person who complained can edit Google reviews, so follow-up gives a better chance of this happening. Sometimes people will change their review if responses happen.

When to Apologize Publicly

If the same complaint is repeated by many people and is a legitimate and large issue that needs to be publicly acknowledged, then a statement of responsibility and the steps being taken to rectify matters should be posted and can help. This turns into crisis management, but it’s happening on a platform that can take on a life of its own and is difficult to control. Getting help from a communications professional in cases like this is recommended.

What About Fake Reviews and Trolls?

If posters are “trolls” who are are just looking to cause trouble and cause a broad net of “noise” it’s a much more difficult situation. Unfortunately, there are several negative reviews for that BC winery associated with Dr. Bonnie Henry. The reviews all look like they were all posted around the same date by accounts only created for this purpose. This winery should release a statement to their varying channels addressing this, so people are aware of the “mob mentality” and not just negative reviews.

Ruby Gillett, who does social media for clients here at Town Hall Brands says, “Transparency is key here, and Google reviews (good and bad) never go away, so taking a proactive approach is, in my opinion, crucial. “I would actually encourage this winery to speak out on the negative commentary influx they have been receiving lately on video if possible,” Gillett adds.

Counter Hate with Love

I have always said to my team, that the best way to fight hate is with love. So, ask everyone who you know has had a good experience to post a positive review. If a landslide of positive reviews is posted then the negative one will be the outlier.

Take the Positive One Step Further

Some companies, without outlining what they are doing, will start a campaign of positive experiences, reviews, and so on, to counterbalance the negative. Any positive reviews give you testimonials. Use positive reviews as testimonials on other channels to demonstrate that most people think positively about your business, without engaging in a public we said/ they said scenario. And to go even further, a business could also consider investing in PR, such as inviting influencers to visit, or to send promo packages. Good coverage and goodwill can send any negative to the background.  Leeann Froese owns Town Hall Brands – a marketing and graphic design agency with 25 years experience branding and promoting beverage alcohol, food, and hospitality. See more at townhallbrands.com or on social @townhallbrands