How To Deal With Negative Feedback From Customers

Reviews are an amazing tool for your business. They are real proof that customers have brought with them and trust your brand, ultimately helping establish you as a reputable business, helping more customers find you, and proving that you are trustworthy.

We recently wrote about how to get more customers to write reviews for your business, but it’s time we go deeper into one of the more unfortunate aspects of customer reviews: negative feedback.

The harsh truth is that every business will have to face negative customer reviews. However, this doesn’t have to be as scary or damming as it might seem. If you respond effectively, you can turn negative reviews into a positive source of growth for your company.

Ready to learn how? Let’s dive into this guide on how to deal with negative feedback from customers.

What you'll get from this page:

1. Be ready for negative reviews

The first step is to accept that it will happen and to be ready for it. The worst thing you can do when faced with negative feedback is to ignore it (even if it’s unintentional!)

So, that means you need to stay on top of your review profiles and set up alerts whenever a new review is left. That way you can respond in a quick and timely manner that shows that you care.

2. Keep calm

Negative reviews are frustrating – especially if they feel unfounded or don’t tell the full story. We get it. But having an emotional reaction to negative reviews and publicly arguing online is not the way to go.

So before you do anything: take a deep breath.

3. Use the 5-step reply method

Crafting a good reply to negative feedback becomes pretty simple when you break it down into 5 easy steps.

Step 1: Listen to, and acknowledge, their concern

If someone has taken the time to leave feedback (good or bad), they want what they say to be taken seriously. So, firstly, make sure that the customer feels heard and that you’ve taken their feedback seriously. Instead of responding with a generic line like “sorry this has happened”, quote the specifics of their complaint.

“I’m sorry that your delivery arrived late”.
“I’m sorry that your order arrived damaged”.
“I’m sorry that you received slow service and that your food arrived cold”.

This is also a good way to show that you’re not a robot using an automated response, which can make people feel worse about their experience.

So don’t be tempted to use templates. It might be quicker and easier, but studies have shown that personalised replies are more effective, for both negative and positive reviews. (López-López et al., 2021)

Step 2: Own it – and don’t blame others

Some things are outside of your control. If an order arrives damaged, it may be that the carrier didn’t handle it well and lobbed it over a fence. But it’s not your job to say so. Instead, own what part of the process (and complaint) that you can.

“We do our best to make sure each item is dispatched within 2-3 days, but it does look like your order was delayed.”
“We do our best to make sure that each item is packed securely, but it looks like we need to look into more robust packing materials”.
“We will strive to improve our kitchen-to-table timing, especially during our peak hours.”

Studies have shown that apologising is a more effective way to deal with negative reviews than a defensive reply. (Zhao et al., 2022) This shows that owning the issue, regardless of who’s fault it is, is the best way forward.

Step 3: Provide a solution

Now you’ve listened to, and owned your share of the responsibility, it’s time to tell your customers what you’re planning to do about it.

This should come in two parts: first, show what you’re planning to do to ensure this doesn’t happen to another customer (which will build trust with prospective customers who see how you handle this review!). Secondly, you’ll offer a personal resolution to the specific customer in question.

Research has shown that offering an explanation combined with compensation is the most effective way to deal with negative reviews. (Schade et al., 2019)

If you handle negative reviews well, you might even find that some customers update their reviews later to say how well your team handled the conflict, which is always good news for your business.

“We’re implementing more transparent order tracking and delivery times so this doesn’t happen again. As a thank you for your patience, we’d love to offer you [discount/credit] on your next order”.
“We’re investigating more robust packing materials that will be able to survive rougher journeys. For now, we can get started on either a refund or a replacement for you.”
“We’re factoring this into our team training – and would love to make it up to you if you would like to come back and have your next meal on us”.

Step 4: Take it offline

Whatever resolution you offer, it’s a good idea to take the discussion offline by providing your customer with a direct email address or contact information. This can also be a good way to get more details about the experience, without having to publicly air out all of the finer details and grievances.

“Can you get in touch with us at [email] with your order number so we can get started on your replacement?”
“Please reach out to me at [Email/Phone] so I can set that up for you”

Step 5: Use a personal sign-off

Finally, use a name or initials when signing off on your reply. This makes your response more human and shows that there are real people working hard behind your business.

It’s also easier for customers to be angry at a faceless organisation, rather than Sarah who’s trying her best.

4. Don’t delete bad reviews

It might be tempting to simply remove all the bad reviews on your account so only the good ones show. But this can make your account look fake, and doesn’t really show the full truth of your business.

Customers will be suspicious of accounts that have no negative reviews – and will be more convinced by the way you respond and handle complaints than reading a sea of 5* reviews.

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5. Know when to fight back

There are times when your business might be hit with fake negative reviews. It could be AI-generated posts, spam, competitors… Whatever the reason, there is a way to fight back and report these reviews.

The best strategy is to ask for more information first.

If someone has put in a clearly fake experience or used a fake name, ask for more information that makes it clear that your records don’t match without publicly arguing with them. For example:

“Hi [Name], we’ve checked our records and can’t find a customer by this name or an order matching your description. We’d love to resolve this—could you please contact us at [Email] so we can investigate? Thanks, DS”.
“Hi [Name], we currently don’t sell that item – could you get in touch with us at [email] with your order number so we can investigate this for you? TL”
“Hi [Name], there seems to be a mistake with your review as our cafe wasn’t open on that day. Could you get in touch with us at [Email] with your order details or the correct date of your visit so we can check our records? Pete.”

If they’re not a real customer, they won’t get in touch. This reply isn’t for them – it’s to show your real, potential customers that you’re willing to respond to actual negative reviews.

Secondly, you can flag and report reviews that go against the platform’s standards. This includes reviews that are clearly spam or contain irrelevant content. But replying first before you report it ensures that, while the platform reviews content, your business is put in the best light.

There is one exception to this: reviews that contain abusive or hateful language. In this case, don’t engage with the review and report it immediately as a violation of community standards. Most review platforms are very quick to remove hateful reviews.