Statistically, we are more likely to write a review when we have a negative experience versus a positive one. Certainly, that is our prerogative as consumers and customers, but it can also destroy credibility for a business, especially when businesses do an exceptional job most of the time. 80% of Americans trust reviews just as much as friends and family, so reviews are crucial for a business’s overall success. As frustrating as these negative reviews can be, luckily there are ways to curb some of this negativity into productive solutions. Check out some of these tips to help you have a stellar reputation once more:

1. Addressing The Reviewer Publicly

Choosing to explain yourself in a professional and respectful manner, especially in the face of a likely angry review, will show future tenants that this was an individual situation versus a repeated problem. Try your best not to be defensive, even if you feel they deserve it. If you address the negative reviewer in a polite way, this will show your professionalism and defuse some of the heated drama a negative review often harbors.

2. Maybe You Can Delete The Review

There are certain guidelines and regulations that Yelp and similar reviewing services have and people often cross those lines with their reviews. Check to see whether the reviewer falls into the many categories that aren’t suitable for a review. Some include: inappropriate language, promotional materials, plagiarism, publicly showing private information, and much more. If you review the guidelines for comments and your negative reviewer falls under one of them, you can flag the comment for removal. This isn’t a foolproof method, but it will help curb some of the “trolls” and leave room for authentic reviews.

3. Do Your Research and Make Things Right

Depending on the situation, perhaps the best course of action is to see what the tenant’s complaints were and rectify the mistake with them personally. Working through things with the tenant on a personal level will show that you care about the problem and want to fix it. Not just for the review, but to truly understand and help fix the issue. Doing this while putting in the work forges a deeper relationship with your tenant. If it’s fixable, and the client is happy, there is a possibility that the tenant will remove or replace the once-negative review for something much more positive.

4. Encourage Positive Reviews in Innovative Ways

More and more companies are using apps and web services to ask their customers for reviews. When something is not easy, people will likely not follow up on it. Statistically, for every negative review, 26 other people didn’t post anything at all. If you send them a direct link for reviews once you’ve completed the service successfully (especially when you know you’ve done a good job), then it will be highly likely that you’ll receive a positive review in a quicker fashion. As we all know, getting more positive reviews will affect your overall score, and help counteract a negative one.

Other Important Notes for Success:

  • Along with addressing the negative reviewers, it’s important to address the positive ones as well. Engagement with your client base and community is very important and shows you care about interacting with the public.
  • Don’t take things too personally. One negative review is difficult to accept, it’s true, but don’t let it completely derail you from your overall goals in acquiring new tenants. Eventually, more reviews will come piling in and this negative review will be a thing of the past. Focus on being proactive versus reactive.
  • Empathy is important. If you’re still in contact with your tenant or you’re writing your response, remember to be empathetic. Understanding the frustrations of someone equals being heard, and that’s very important to instill humanity and connection back in review services.

Having an occasional bad review is part of the process. Certainly, even top notch companies have a negative review or two buried somewhere in the positive ones. Living in a world where reviews are key, it’s important to be equal parts professional and vigilant, ensuring that the same mistakes don’t happen again. Finding many ways to make positive reviews a routine part of your week while properly acknowledging the negative ones is the ultimate key to a positive online presence.

You Can Rely on A-Creative

Is the stress of managing your property becoming too much to handle? A-Creative Property Management can help. We have helped countless property owners in Orange County manage their properties and tenants, eliminating the stress of the day-to-day. We look forward to working with you soon!