In reality, negative comments and reviews can bring much more benefit than positive ones. The key is to handle them correctly. In this material, we will explain what to do with negativity, how to use it to your advantage, and which techniques should absolutely not be used when dealing with negative feedback.
What to do with negativity: delete or respond?
The most serious mistake when dealing with negativity is to delete it. Such behavior from the company will infuriate the user, and they will surely remember it and share their experience on other platforms.
For example, if you delete a review on social media, the customer may go to a review aggregator website and will definitely write about the deleted feedback, which will put the company in a disadvantageous position. Users can see that it's easier for you to ignore dissatisfied customers than to find out what happened and rectify the situation.
It's best to respond to negativity, but it should be done correctly.
- Act promptly. If a company takes 2-3 weeks to respond to a negative review, there is a high probability that the user will forget the essence of the complaint, lose access to their account, and so on. The optimal response time is 1-3 days.
- No emotions. Avoid responding to negativity with negativity. Remember that other users will read this response. They are unlikely to want to engage with a company that reacts aggressively to criticism.
- Apologize and acknowledge the mistake. It's best to apologize in any case, even when the customer is not right. And if the company has genuinely made a mistake, acknowledge it and communicate that you will investigate the situation.
- Notify about the results. When the problem has been resolved, be sure to inform the customer personally or on the platform where the complaint was posted. Other users will see that the company takes customer feedback seriously and listens to them.
How to handle negativity when dealing with schematic traffic?
Schematic traffic is most commonly used in the gambling and betting verticals. Its essence is simple: an arbitrageur tells users that they have created a scheme to beat the casino and shares their success and results with subscribers. People register, fund their accounts, and a certain percentage goes into the arbitrageur's pocket.
The strategy for handling negativity when dealing with schematic traffic is similar to what we discussed earlier.
- Don't ignore it. Users will be more likely to file complaints, and the SCAM label will appear much sooner.
- Show that you want to investigate the situation. It's better to inquire about the user's entire sequence of actions and suggest that they might have made a mistake or that the casino has already detected the scheme. This way, the user will feel that they are not being deceived.
- Admit the mistake if players push for it. Say that the casino has discovered your scheme and that it's your fault. As an apology, offer to provide an exclusive strategy or access to a VIP chat.
If you receive a large number of complaints and responding to each one personally takes up a lot of time, it's better not to ignore users but to publish an apology on your channel. People will have more trust in the scheme this way.
How to use negativity to your advantage
If, upon a detailed examination of the situation when handling negativity, the company finds its own mistake, it should apologize and offer compensation – a refund, a gift, or another bonus. The key is to make the customer change their opinion to a positive one and appreciate the company's attentiveness.
We are also interested in the new trend of "deinfluencing," which is focused on selling products through negativity. We had a separate article about it.
In working with schematic traffic, a well-handled response to negativity can encourage players to make a second deposit.
For example, an angry user sends private messages stating that the scheme presented on the channel doesn't work. In this situation, it's better to inquire about their sequence of actions and point out the player's mistake.
A compelling way to encourage a user to make a repeat deposit is compensation from the scheme owner. For example, when an upset player expresses their dissatisfaction, and to lower the tension in the communication, the channel administrator apologizes and, as a gesture of apology, provides a unique scheme or free access to a VIP channel with "strategy leaks."
What should you not do when dealing with negative reviews
The key problem when dealing with negativity is companies' inability to constructively analyze negative reviews in order to extract value from them and address the mistakes made.
- Don't ignore it. The essence of negative feedback is a customer's plea for help. In the absence of a response to such feedback, users will perceive the company as not customer-oriented.
- Don't shift blame onto the customer and avoid insults. This pertains to situations where the company is genuinely at fault but is reluctant to admit it. Avoid blaming the customer for the issue – first, investigate, and then provide a polite response.
- Avoid using template responses. They irritate everyone and can lead to even more negativity. Moreover, a standard reply like "thank you for your feedback" doesn't address the user's problem. When responding to negative feedback, it's better to use an individualized approach, demonstrating the company's commitment to change and improvement.
Examples of how companies turn negativity into positivity.
The food delivery service "Yapoki," which operates in three cities in Russia, turns negativity into positivity through compensations. In their VKontakte group and on their website, after placing an order, customers are asked to rate the work of the chefs and couriers. In the case of a negative review, company representatives reach out, inquire about the circumstances, and offer to remake the order for free.
As an example of handling negativity in schematic traffic, you can mention Vitaliy Komarov's channel. When faced with a mass influx of dissatisfied players, he posted a message in his community apologizing to everyone, explaining the situation, and offering not to take a percentage as a gesture of apology.
Users see that their complaints are not being ignored but are being addressed, which increases the loyalty and trust of the audience towards the scheme's author.
Conclusion
Negative reviews will always exist, and they are an integral part of working with people. The key is to handle them correctly so that they bring more benefit than harm to the company. Namely: promptly investigate the situation and compensate the customer for any inconveniences.