The best ways to handle online complaints

digest the complaint. Keep your response positive and constructive. Address the complaint and be sure to take this opportunity to highlight something positive about your company as well. This way you can turn a negative into a positive. People usually just want to be heard.

NJ: What should a jeweler do if someone posts a false negative review? 

BD: The first step is to report the false review to the website itself. Read the website’s review guidelines and, if it violates their terms, be sure to include that in your report. Take a look at the reviews posted by the same user and try to build your case that the review is fake (i.e., they reviewed multiple businesses throughout the country on the same day.)

If the review simply looks “spammy,” be sure to indicate that as well. The idea here is to arm yourself with as much ammo as possible for the customer service representative to consider while handling your report. 

Oftentimes, however, the review will not be removed. In these cases you should publicly explain why the review is false or misleading. As with other negative reviews, be sure to keep your composure and more often than not potential customers will identify it as fake. The review will unfortunately still be calculated in your star rating, so it is imperative that you be proactive in gathering reviews from your customers.

NJ: What should a jeweler do if they appear to be the target of a “troll” i.e., a person who comments on multiple sites for the sole purpose of upsetting people and/or engaging them in arguments? 

BD: We recommend following the same procedures as (outlined for) false negative reviews. Respond to the complaints in a civilized manner and plead your case. Internet consumers tend to be pretty savvy these days and will usually pick up on the fact that the complainer is a “troll.” 

NJ: If a jeweler responds positively to a negative review and the customer is still upset, what should the next step be?

BD: If it is a real customer it would be best to express your apology that they didn’t have a positive experience. Indicate that you will reach out to them privately to try to make the situation right. Assuming this is a real customer with a legitimate complaint, it might be prudent to completely refund the customer and offer a discount on a future purchase. Just be sure to word your correspondence carefully in case the person decides to quote it publicly.

NJ: Is there anything a jeweler shouldn’t say when responding to a negative review?

BD: Do not start an argument with a negative reviewer, even if you feel you are 100 percent correct. It will only lead to more complaints on additional websites and will also be looked at negatively by future potential customers.

NJ: Are there any instances where a jeweler shouldn’t respond to a negative review?

BD: Yes. There are “complaint” websites (i.e., Ripoff Report) where it is generally the complainer’s main goal to hurt the reputation of a company, no matter what has or hasn’t transpired. We find that when you respond to these complaints, the original author will simply come back and bash the company further. 

Every time a response is filed, these complaint pages tend to rank higher in the search engines when people search your company name. If too many of these types of complaints are filed, the search results for your company name might severely hinder your business growth. Crisis management is, unfortunately, why most of our reputation management clients come on board. Getting ahead of negative reviews, whether on your own or with the assistance of a reputation management company, is absolutely imperative these days.