1. Online Reputation Management
(Reacting to a Bad Review)

2. Part of managing your online reputation is
learning how to react to reviews, both good and
bad. One can hope that they will never get a bad
review, but the truth is, if you're well-known and
popular, a bad review will eventually happen.
Sometimes the reviews are deserved, other
times not, and worse, sometimes they're bought.
That's right, if you're really threatening the
competition and if they lack ethics they may hire
someone to generate negative buzz about you.
The important thing to do is to learn how to
manage your online reputation, and how to
answer (or not answer) a bad review.

3. Have a way to pay attention to the buzz on
the net about you and your business. Set up
Google Alerts, and occasionally check the
search results manually. It even helps to check
search results from public computers instead of
just your own due to the way the algorithms
give a person personalized search results
today.

4. If you mess up, own up to it and admit
it. There is no point in hiding it. On the
Internet everything you say or do is there
forever, either in the form of an actual
searchable area, or in the form of a
screen shot taken by someone and
shared with the world. People remember
when you are honest too.

5. If you made a mistake, correct it. If a
client gives you a bad review and you
realize it really is your fault, say so. A
public apology in answer to the
negative review will go far in garnering
support of clients, and maybe even turn
around the client who was upset.

6. Do what you have to in order to make
it right. Even if you have to eat the
cost, refund money, offer more
services, do it. Even in a situation where
you're not at fault it's best to just refund
the money and call it a day. Say so
publically on the bad review that you're
refunding the money. People will
appreciate that.

7. Before responding to any reviews always
take a deep breath, and even a day or two if
needed, before responding. Our businesses
are like our babies, and if someone attacks
it, we turn into protective parents ready to go
for the kill. Best to take a time out before
responding to particularly bad reviews.
Remember it's business, it's not personal.

8. Is the person who complained really a
client? Are they saying something that really
matters, or are they just trolls for hire, or
someone that matters in the scheme of
things. If they are simply a trouble maker,
sometimes it's best to completely ignore
what they are saying and not feed the beast.
Some people can't be pleased, let it go, and
move on.

9. Hire a virtual assistant to handle customer
service issues. This person can monitor online
review sites, customer service email without
the emotion that you will have for your
business (baby). You need not ever deal with
these issues if you empower the people you
work with and who work for you to take care of
these situations in a way that makes the clients
happy and satisfied.

10. THE END