4 ways bad reviews can actually be good for your business

For entrepreneurs, their business is their baby. When they see their business being rated one or two stars, their first emotion is anger and resentment towards the customer and the review site. There is nothing that makes business owners as emotional as public criticism of their work. They believe that a handful of disgruntled customers can send new customers away and ruin the brand's name forever. However, did you know that bad reviews and negative feedback can actually do good to your business? Here's how:

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Bad reviews make your business appear more human

Imagine scrolling through a bunch of reviews for a particular brand and seeing only stellar comments and glowing feedback. Wouldn't you assume that the reviews are fake or paid for? We are all human and we all make mistakes. When a few online reviews reflect on your bad days, it lends legitimacy to your brand. Reviews about a brand shouldn't appear as if they have been written by the owner's family and friends.

Bad reviews help you identify your weak points

When a customer reads a bad review about a brand, they know exactly what to expect. For example, if you're a donut brand and your customer doesn't like their donuts to be ‘too sweet’, they can always take reference from your reviews and order a donut that would suit their liking. Customers value this information as they can make an informed decision. As an entrepreneur, you should make use of negative feedback to identify the loopholes in your business and fix them.

Bad reviews give you a chance to engage customers

Instead of censoring any bad reviews that you receive or responding with a strong comeback, use the opportunity that a bad review provides you with to build a relationship with your customers. You can turn negative feedback into something positive by responding with a solution. For example, if a customer has received a damaged dress and has complained on your Facebook page about it, you can always reply with an apology and a solution to the issue. Doing this will give potential customers the comfort that you will help them even if you have a bad experience.

Bad reviews build trust

The first instinct is to hide a bad review about your brand when you see it and only display positive reviews. But when all the reviews that a customer sees are positive, they instantly know that the brand is hiding something from them. Like mentioned earlier, every business is bound to have a few flaws. But if there is no feedback that reflects your brand's flaws, customers get suspicious. They may even lose trust in the positive reviews that you display with much pride.

Displaying all reviews, good and bad, helps maintain transparency of your company. Instead of fearing such reviews, welcome them as an unfiltered look into your business and turn the tide in your favour.