The internet possesses a high level of power over consumers, in particular, reviews.

We are now living in a time where the internet holds a powerful influence over your business, and people will do whatever they can to avoid getting that 1 star on Google. Reviews that will bring down your average.

It can be disheartening to read that someone has had a bad experience; bad enough to make the effort to let everyone else on the internet know that they should avoid your company.

Consumers want to know why, what did you do wrong to deserve that?

In reality, there often isn’t a lot you can do to avoid negative feedback online.

So how do you recover from this?

What can YOU do as the business to come back from this negative review in a positive way? One thing that is important is to embrace those who criticise your brand. Don’t delete that negative review, let it sit there in a pool of positives! When a negative review is indicated to be out of place with the majority, it can lead to future consumers leaving reviews that are a more positive than they may have initially left – due to sympathy and the mission to outweigh the negative.

Another way in which you can combat a negative review is through replying with a personalised, empathetic message. It has been explored that when people receive a response from an organisation, they are more likely to humanise the brand, potentially removing the negative review or becoming accepting of the mistake.

Unfair negative reviews are unavoidable, and although they are inevitable, they don’t necessarily mean your company will lose any business.

Consumers appear to be motivated by empathy, and negative reviews can drive more positive reviews from other consumers.

Shift your mind set about a bad review, use it as a chance to exhibit empathy and be attentive, sought advice on what your company can do better and repair the relationship.