You’ve worked hard to establish your online presence, so the last thing you want to receive is a negative online review. No matter how many positive reviews you have, negative ones can pop up at any time. They occur oftentimes for almost any reason regardless of quality of cleaning work you provide or how many people love your business. Though your supporters may greatly outnumber your detractors, you must address the situation quickly and correctly.
Here are a few suggestions on how to respond to a negative online review for your maid service business:
Acknowledge the situation
Even if you feel the customer is wrong, it is important that you acknowledge their issue. Thank them for pointing out their concerns, and write a response that acknowledges their concern while showing appreciation for their feedback.
In most cases, the reason behind the complaint is the customer is not clear on your process, or they are simply having a bad day. Ignoring them will make the situation worse.
Apologize
You have made the first step by acknowledging their complaint, now go the extra mile and apologize. Regardless if they are right or not, take the high ground and issue an apology. Not only will this go a long way with the person leaving the negative review, but it will also increase your reputation with others reading the comments about your maid services business in the future.
Reply with an apology that is sincere and shows that your cleaning business sets the bar high and intends to deliver. Here is an example:
“We apologize that our cleaning services did not meet your expectations. We strive to meet all of our customers’ needs and pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service. We appreciate your feedback and assure you that your satisfaction is our number one priority.”
Provide an explanation
Sometimes an apology is all it takes to smooth over a negative review. However, other times you may need to take some action to remedy a misunderstanding. There are a few things to consider when providing an explanation of a situation:
- Don’t make excuses – take responsibility for the situation. Be clear as to what the misunderstanding was.
- Offer an incentive as to why they should re-engage with your business.
Compensate them
It’s bad enough that they took time out of their schedule to leave a negative review. When the business brushes them off and ignores them, their anger and disappointment can escalate. In their minds, not only did this experience cost them money, but it has cost them time as well.
You can let them know you genuinely care about their experience by offering them some form of incentive or compensation to make up for their time, including 20% off their next cleaning service or priority scheduling on their next service call.
By offering an incentive, you are showing that you genuinely care about their business, and you want to keep them as a long-term customer.
Diffuse the situation
Offer to discuss the issue with them offline. An in-person visit or phone call will go a long way in remedying the situation and re-establishing your client relationship. Extend that invitation by including your name, title, and contact information along with a message similar to the following:
“Please contact me personally via email or phone, and I would be happy to discuss with you how we can resolve your concerns at your earliest convenience.”
Final Thought
It may be difficult but resolving negative reviews of your cleaning service is an important component of maintaining your business’s integrity. This is especially critical when making first impressions with new clients.
In a perfect world, every review would be a positive one. With the right approach you can turn negative reviews into a win and more time can be spent growing your cleaning business.
