Receiving phoney, unfavourable reviews has unfortunately become a necessary evil of doing company, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept them. Unhappy consumers displeased staff, and even competitors write fake reviews. You don’t have to let these false, unfavourable evaluations ruin your company, though.
Here are some tips to help you prevent phoney reviews from harming your company whether you’re struggling with a flood of unjustified negative reviews or even just a few here and there.
1. Gather your decision-making data from trusted, verifiable sources
When you’re trying to make decisions about your product, it’s important to get your information from reliable sources. There are a lot of fake and negative reviews out there, so you need to be careful about where you get your information. Here are some tips for finding trusted, verifiable sources for your decision-making data:
- Talk to customers directly. One of the best ways to get accurate information about your product is to talk to customers who have used it. Ask them what they liked and didn’t like about the product, and whether they would recommend it to others.
- Look for independent reviews. If you can’t talk to customers directly, look for independent reviews of your product from reputable sources. These reviews can give you an idea of what people think about your product, without any biases.
2. Don’t sell on platforms that allow reviews without a purchase
When it comes to managing your product’s reputation, don’t sell on platforms that allow reviews without a purchase. This can open the door for fake or negative reviews that can damage your brand.
If you do sell on a platform that allows reviews without a purchase, be sure to monitor those reviews closely. If you see any fake or negative reviews, take steps to have them removed. Don’t let fake or negative reviews damage your product’s reputation.
3. Respond to all negative reviews
No business is perfect, and even the best companies will receive the occasional negative review. But how you respond to these reviews can be just as important as the product or service you provide.
When responding to a negative review, always take the high road. Be professional, courteous, and helpful, even if the customer was not. Address their specific concerns, and offer to make things right.
Most importantly, do not delete or ignore negative reviews. This will only make you look bad, and it will give the customer more ammunition to use against you. Instead, use negative reviews as an opportunity to show everyone how well you handle criticism and customer service issues.
4. Research people who post negative reviews
As a business owner, it’s important to stay on top of the conversation about your products or services. This means being aware of both the good and the bad that people are saying about you online. But what do you do when you come across a fake or negative review?
There are a few things you can do to manage these reviews and protect your business’ reputation. First, don’t panic. Take a deep breath and assess the situation. If the review is clearly fake, you can report it to the site where it was posted. If it’s a negative but legitimate review, reach out to the customer directly and try to resolve the issue.
You can also take steps to prevent fake or negative reviews in the future. For example, you can encourage customers to leave reviews by offering incentives like discounts or coupons.
5. Point out the inconsistencies in fake reviews
When customers are considering a purchase, they often turn to online reviews to get a sense of whether or not a product is worth their money. Unfortunately, not all reviews are created equal. Some companies hire people to write fake positive reviews or post negative reviews about their competitors. As a result, it can be hard to know what to believe.
If you suspect that a review might be fake, there are a few things you can look for. First, check the reviewer’s history. If they’ve only ever reviewed products from one company, or if they’ve only posted a handful of reviews, that’s a red flag. Second, take a close look at the language used in the review. Fake reviews often use vague language or superlative adjectives (e.g., “amazing,” “incredible”). Finally, pay attention to the tone of the review.
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