Was an Employee Named in a Bad Review? (6 Simple Steps You Need to Take)

Coming across a bad online review is not something you want to encounter very often, but it does happen. Even to the best businesses. It might come from a customer having a bad day, or even a fake review, but it could be due to a problem an employee caused.

If you’ve been hit by a negative review that mentions one of your employees, you probably feel like you’re in a difficult situation. So, what do you do?!

Fire the employee? Yell at the customer and tell them they are wrong? Completely ignore the review and pretend like it didn’t happen?

Well, no. No, and no.

Let’s explore a different approach from any of the professional monstrosities above.

Create a Process To Handle Bad Online Reviews

When handling a bad online review, you want to make sure you’re covering all your bases. I suggest you put all of the below steps to work for any bad review received that involve an employee.

The following 6 steps will help to handle the situation internally and externally, but then allowing you to improve your online review profile at the same time.

1) Discuss the Issue with the Employee

I understand that your knee jerk reaction is to go after the customer, especially if you have a good relationship with that employee. But you need to understand the full story first. Since they posted a review online first, you’ve already read about the side customers story. Now, it’s time to find the employee who was involved and hear what they have to say.

In the unfortunate case the employee is to be fully blamed for the situation, you may have to remove them from the business. Make sure you’re handling this situation delicately because you don’t want your employee leaving a bad review of their own and having to implement this process again!

Understanding both sides of the story will allow you to handle the customer in the best way. Sometimes, people can overreact or are just having a bad day. When you arm yourself with accurate information, you will be able to speak to that to the customers.  

Once you have heard both sides of the story, you will be able to react to the situation in the best way possible. When it comes time to respond to your bad review, you will be able to accurately assess the situation and show prospective customers you listen to both sides of the story!

2) Adjust Your Customer Journey and Processes

If your employee did cause this poor review, it means there needs to be adjustments made. You also want to try to make some adjustments prior to responding to the review. By making the appropriate changes as soon as possible, you’re setting future customers up for success by showing them that you’re committed to creating the best possible customer experience you can.

This isn’t the time to simply fire the employee. Ask yourself: was there a breakdown in the process that caused the interruption? Was this employee set up for success? Did they receive the proper training and education about your business?

Now is a great time to re-evaluate your customer journey and make sure all areas are handled properly.

3) It’s Time to Respond to the Review

Handling a negative review that specifically names an employee is a delicate matter. This has to be the most important step when handling a bad online review caused by an employee. By responding, you are showing the affected customer that you’re sorry for the issue and that you want them to come back and have a better experience.

Be descriptive and detailed with your explanation of what has happened and what you already have put in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

You’re building trust with your current and prospective customers by taking this step. Showing that you’re human and that you understand people make mistakes is key, but it’s more important to show that you’re willing to make changes to improve.

In the end, that response may not be enough to bring the customer who left the review back, but it will tell prospective customers that you are working to actively improve your business.

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4) Reach Out to the Customer Directly

Now is the time to make that phone call to the disgruntled customer and face the music. No one wants to do this step, but that’s exactly why it’s going to set you apart from your competition. Everyone is going to get a poor review here and there, but not everyone is going to call that customer to apologize directly.

If you don’t have their phone number, try one of these methods:

Send them an email

• Write them a facebook message
• Send a direct message on instagram or twitter
• Write a handwritten note
• Ask them to contact you via the online review

Whatever way you have of contacting this customer – just do it. You will be happy with yourself in the long run.

5) Update the Bad Online Review with your Progress

By this point, you’ve done a lot of work to help correct this problem. You have spent time adjusting your processes to make sure every customer have the best experience possible. Now, it’s time to brag a little bit.

Update the negative with review with what has happened and how the conversation with the customer went. Make sure to let the customer know you will be responding to the review during your conversation in step 4. If they are happy with the change, they may even want to post an update themselves.

6) Bury the Bad Review with More Positive Reviews

Here’s my favorite step! As a result of that customer leaving a bad review, you have new processes in place, and, depending on the situation, you may have removed a toxic employee. Your customer service should be at a new high right now! It’s the best time to be asking customers for more reviews.

We want to bring your business’s rating back up to where it belongs, but that’s going to take some time and many more positive reviews from all your happy customers. With an online review management software  you are looking to ask every single customer that comes through the door to leave their reviews.

Put These Steps to Good Use and Improve Your Business!

Handling a bad online review caused by an employee is never be an easy task. By breaking down the process into these 6 simple steps, you will handle all aspects of this situation in the right manner.

Make sure you take care of both your customer and employee in the manner that is necessary, but also don’t forget about the ever-important last step: bury that bad online review with RepCheckup!