Google My Business also known as GMB is one of the many tools that can help local businesses get searched by potential customers. Nevertheless, managing criticisms and ‘bashing’ the business can be a difficult task. That is why, in this blog, you will learn the tricks on how you can deal with a negative rating and how to establish a positive one on GMB.
The role of review in GMB
GMB reviews can heavily influence your business, therefore having full control over your GMB listing is a top priority. They can increase your competitiveness and improve the visibility of the site in the search engine. Positive feedbacks also bring more consumers and increase credibility. On the other hand, negative comments push customers away and the business information could end up destroying someone’s credibility.
Handling Negative Reviews
1. Stay Calm and Professional
When you have a poor review, you must remain calm and professional. Reacting with emotions could make the situation worse and damage your reputation even further. Take a deep breath, analyze the review, and respond thoughtfully.
2. Respond Promptly
Timely responses to negative reviews show that you value customer feedback and are committed to resolving issues. Aim to respond within 24-48 hours to demonstrate your dedication to customer satisfaction.
3. Acknowledge and Apologize
In responding to a disgruntled customer you should first, appreciate his grief while at the same time apologizing for any delay or inconvenience caused. This means being compassionate and making an effort to correct one’s actions in the case of a mistake.
4. Address the Issue
Suggest a possible fix to the issue or detail how you are seeking to address the challenge. This shows commitment to work on upgrading the services that you offer to your customers.
5. Encourage Offline Resolution
In some cases, this is better solved by taking it off the messaging app and to another platform, such as a phone call. Include contact details and encourage the customer to express their concerns in a more personal manner based on the argument.
6. Learn from Feedback
Use negative reviews as an opportunity to learn and improve your business operations. Regularly review feedback and implement necessary changes to prevent recurring issues.
Building a Positive Reputation
1. Encourage Positive Reviews
It is highly recommended to request fully satisfied customers to write reviews and other feedback. Another approach is to deliver excellent service to your clientele and, occasionally, give them friendly suggestions to post their experiences on social media platforms.
2. Respond to Positive Reviews
Give a thought to your customers by acknowledging certain positive views. Ask customers for feedback – let them know that their opinions are valuable to help enhance the services offered.
3. Consistent Quality Service
Ensure customers have positive experiences by delivering consistently high-quality service. Satisfied customers are more likely to give good reviews and recommend your business.
4. Leverage Social Proof
Include positive feedback and success stories about the company products on the website and social media pages. This assists in gaining the trust of potential customers and creates credibility which is so important for any business.
5. Monitor and Manage Reviews
This is particularly important since users leave their comments on the GMB reviews and you should be able to manage these comments as frequently as possible. Track your reviews using the review management tools to view and address what has been posted about your products on the web.
6. Engage with the Community
Be active within your community, participate in events and support through sponsorships or collaborations. There is nothing wrong with being active within your community as it could work in your favour when trying to sell your products.
Conclusion
Managing negative comments and reputation-building exercises on Google My Business is not easy and requires proper mechanisms. It means that you ought to be very professional in handling negative feedback because it can help to expose your company’s weak areas that need improvement while recommending that you keep encouraging people to post only positive feedback.
If you need further strategies and helpful hints – you can follow links on the Near to Me site; there is detailed information regarding effective management of the GMB profile.
