Handling negative reviews and turning criticism into an opportunity

Negative reviews are, unfortunately, an inevitable part of doing business. With social media now hot on the tail of any business, review platforms and online forums offer chances for customers to share their views and opinions on products and services, whether positive or negative, and most companies will encounter negative reviews or feedback. 

Effectively managing negative reviews is important for businesses where consumer voices are strong and varied. This mitigates potential damage and can transform criticism into growth opportunities, customer engagement, and brand loyalty. 

Understanding the impact of negative reviews is crucial for businesses

Negative reviews can have an immediate and far-reaching impact on a brand’s reputation. Potential customers often look for reviews before deciding whether to proceed with a purchase. Unfortunately, seeing a bad review can put people off from going with a brand. However, it is important to understand that negative reviews are not the end of the world, and in many cases, the feedback, when handled correctly, can lead to positive opportunities.

From a PR perspective, negative reviews offer the opportunity to show a brand’s commitment to customer satisfaction and improvement. How a negative review is responded to provides insights into how a business can come back from criticism and take on board any comments on where a company may need to improve.

How to turn criticism into a positive opportunity

How a business approaches criticism can ultimately affect the outcome of the interaction, and responding in the right way can turn a negative experience into a positive one.

Here are some top tips and UK PR examples of how businesses should respond…

1. Respond promptly and professionally

Timely responses to negative reviews show the business is attentive and values customer feedback. Regardless of the tone of the review, it is important to remain professional. By acknowledging the customer’s concerns and offering a solution, businesses can mitigate the immediate impact of the negative review.

An example of this is British Airways, where, in 2022, it faced a surge of complaints due to flight cancellations and delays. Customers took to social media platforms like Twitter (X) to express their anger and frustrations, and British Airways responded promptly, acknowledging the disruptions and offering those affected flexible rebooking options or refunds. While the situation wasn’t ideal, the airline’s quick response helped calm some negative interactions. British Airways maintained trust and transparency by addressing concerns in real-time and providing clear information during this challenging time.

2. Show empathy and take responsibility

Empathy is key when responding to negative feedback, as customers and clients want to feel heard and understood when they have an issue. When a business takes responsibility for a mistake and expresses genuine concern for the customer’s experience, it can help to rebuild trust.

An example of this is when, in 2016, Airbnb faced numerous reports of racial discrimination. The hashtag #AirbnbWhileBlack gained traction on social media, highlighting the experiences of Black users who were denied bookings or treated unfairly by hosts. This negative publicity threatened Airbnb’s reputation and raised serious questions about the company’s policies and practices. Airbnb’s CEO, Brian Chesky, responded with empathy and took full responsibility for the situation, publicly acknowledging the problem and outlining the steps Airbnb would take to combat discrimination, including a new policy that would require hosts to agree to a community commitment to treat all guests with respect and without bias. It also introduced an “Open Doors” policy, ensuring that guests who felt discriminated against could receive immediate assistance finding a new accommodation.

Airbnb’s response mitigated the crisis by showing that the company was willing to listen, learn, and take meaningful steps to address a serious issue. 

3. Offer a solution/compensation

Offering a solution or compensation effectively shows that a business is willing to make things right. It isn’t all about profits but also the happiness of customers. A solution could range from a refund or discount to a phone call or face-to-face meeting to discuss the matter further. Taking actionable steps to resolve the issue can turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal one.

In 2022, Virgin Media experienced widespread service outages, leading to negative reviews and complaints online. The company acknowledged the issue and offered affected customers a month’s free service as compensation. While the outage was a significant inconvenience, Virgin Media’s proactive approach to resolving the situation helped to retain customer loyalty. By offering compensation, the company demonstrated that it valued its customers’ experiences and was committed to making amends.

4. Use negative feedback for continuous improvement

Even though negative reviews are often written during moments of frustration, they often contain valuable feedback that can highlight areas for improvement. By adequately looking into these reviews, businesses can identify recurring issues and make necessary changes to their products, services, or processes.

At the back end of 2023 and early 2024, Tesco faced criticism over its online shopping service, with customers complaining about delayed deliveries and missing items. Tesco took this feedback seriously and conducted an internal review to identify the causes of these issues. The supermarket chain then implemented changes, including updating delivery slots and enhancing stock management systems. Tesco also communicated these improvements to their customers, turning a negative situation into a narrative of customer-driven improvement and transparency. As a result, Tesco not only addressed the specific complaints but also improved its overall service quality.

5. Using negative reviews for positive PR

Surprisingly, negative reviews can be used as a tool for positive PR, and we see this a lot at Peppermint Soda. By openly addressing criticism and showcasing how the business uses it to improve, companies can show that they are willing to grow and that the customer is at the forefront of the business. This transparency can mean a lot to those who value authenticity.

An example of this is when 2018 KFC experienced a major PR crisis when they ran out of chicken due to a supply chain issue, leading to the temporary closure of hundreds of restaurants. The shortage triggered a flood of negative reviews, complaints, and mockery on social media. Instead of shying away from the criticism, KFC turned it into a PR opportunity by launching a self-deprecating and humorous ad campaign. It issued a full-page apology in newspapers with an ad showing an empty KFC bucket with the letters “FCK” on it, rearranged from “KFC” to humorously acknowledge the frustration of their customers. By taking ownership of the issue, KFC turned a damaging disaster into an opportunity to show the brand’s personality and commitment to customers. The “FCK” campaign alleviated the negative sentiment and reinforced KFC’s reputation for being bold, humorous, and customer-focused.

Building a long-term strategy for handling negative reviews

While responding to individual negative reviews is important, businesses should also develop a long-term strategy for handling criticism. This involves monitoring reviews, responding to reviews, and learning from customer feedback.

1. Create a monitoring system

Putting a monitoring system in place helps businesses stay on top of reviews across various platforms, whether that’s review sites or social media. This system can include setting up alerts to send each time the business is mentioned so that any issues can be responded to quickly. 

2. Train customer service teams to handle negativity 

Anyone in customer service should be trained to handle negative reviews with professionalism and empathy. Providing teams with guidelines on responding to different types of criticism will create a streamlined approach where everyone comes from the same place and the business messaging is aligned. Customer service training should ensure teams know where and when to escalate an issue and how to engage with customers proactively.

3. Know what to do in a crisis 

In cases where negative reviews indicate a larger issue, a crisis management plan is essential. This plan should outline the steps to take in response to a surge of negative feedback, including internal communication, public statements, and customer outreach. At Peppermint Soda, we are crisis communication specialists and can help you prepare a crisis strategy to help prevent negative situations from escalating into full-blown crises. Contact us here to find out more.

Learning from negative reviews

Negative reviews should be viewed as part of an ongoing chat with customers. Addressing negative feedback can help businesses continuously improve. Incorporating customer feedback into product development, service enhancements, and marketing strategies addresses current concerns and helps prevent future issues.

Our final thoughts

Unfortunately, negative reviews are unavoidable in business, but they don’t have to spell disaster. When handled with care, they can be transformed into valuable opportunities for customer engagement, brand improvement, and positive PR.

At Peppermint Soda, every piece of positive or negative feedback is an opportunity to connect with customers and showcase a brand’s commitment to excellence. By responding promptly, showing empathy, offering solutions, and using feedback to drive improvement, businesses can limit the impact of negative reviews and enhance their reputation in the eyes of their customers.

Want to learn more about how we can help in a crisis? And how can we help turn negative reviews into positive communication? Then contact us today at [email protected]