Found a negative review on nzhotpools.co.nz about your hotpool?
It is a frightening experience for a business owner to have a negative comment out there on a website visible to the public.
You are worried about your reputation and scaring away potential customers, right?
Your first reaction is probably to ask me to remove it.
That’s not going to happen.
I have the integrity of my website to protect and that means I must include both positive and negative reviews so that the public trusts what they read on nzhotpools.co.nz.
That goes for the hot pools that pay for a sponsored listing, and for those that get a free listing.
Instead, I’ve found a recipe that turns negative reviews left online by disappointed customers, into a positive force that is 10 times more powerful.
Would you like to learn how that works?
All you have to do is follow this guide:
Step #1: Don’t Make Excuses
Your first reaction will to make an excuse “That only happened because blah blah blah”.
They don’t want to hear your excuses.
Fight the urge to make excuses, because making excuses is starting a fight.
It tells the customer that they are wrong, and that you’re not listening and that you don’t care.
Getting into a fight with a customer either online or face to face is a really bad idea, so don’t make excuses.
Step #2: Cut Them Some Slack
Realise that they are just upset because they were expecting to have a good time, but something went wrong and now they are lashing out in frustration, and, unfortunately, you are the easiest target.
Don’t take it personally.
They’re just having a bad day.
Cut them some slack.
Step #3: Give Them What They Really Want
They really want just 3 things from you.
And if you give them these 3 things they will love you for it.
They will love you because most of the time they complain, no-one listens to them.
So here are the 3 things they want from you: A) Acknowledgment, B) Apology, C) A promise of Action.
3A: Acknowledgement
So first, acknowledge them; “thank you for your feedback Joe Bloggs”. Easy.
3B: Apologise
Next, apologise for their negative experience. But it wasn’t your fault was it? It doesn’t matter whose fault it was, apologise anyway. You can say “I’m sorry you had such a disappointing experience when xyz happened”.
3C: Action
Next, address their issue or concern and describe the changes you are going to make (or even better “have made”) so it won’t happen again. Like this “We are making changes this week to ensure this doesn’t happen again to you or anyone else”
What Will Happen Next
Trust me, if you do these 3 things you will blow their minds.
They will think “Wow, they really cared about what I had to say!”, “They are true professionals!”, “I helped make that place better!” and they feel a warm glow.
But the real magic happens afterwards: Hundreds of other people will read their complaint and then read your professional response.
They will think “Wow, look at the way the team responded to that whinger, they really listen and care! I’m going there!”
How To Write Your Reply on NZHotPools.co.nz
Go to the hotpool’s webpage on NZHotPools.co.nz and scroll down to the comments section to write a comment of your own:
- Use your real name and add your job title and business name in brackets. Eg “Sheldon Nesdale (Director at MarketingFirst.co.nz)
- Start your reply by directing your comment at the person who left the negative comment using the @ symbol. Eg “@GrumpyDave Hi Dave, thank you…”
- Follow the format above and submit your response. I’ll set it live within 24 hours usually.
- Take a copy of your response and email it directly to the person who complained to ensure they get a copy
It’s a simple as that!
All the best.
Sheldon Nesdale
www.NZHotPools.co.nz