You’re in the daily whirlwind of tasks, organizing the school’s work, managing substitutions, student billing, and suddenly you see a notification in your email about a new review on Google – 1 star. What do you do? Are you prepared for this? Do you know how to handle negative reviews?
This article will help you prepare a plan in case of a negative review, so you don’t have to react emotionally or respond to comments in a frenzy.
What will you find in this article?
- The importance of negative online reviews
- Where to look for reviews about yourself?
- Who writes the reviews?
- Types of negative reviews
- How to respond to negative reviews?
- Summary – how to handle negative online reviews?
The importance of negative online reviews
Your students already have their opinions about your language school, so it’s a great moment to ask them for feedback. Besides surveys, it’s valuable to request public reviews on Google and Facebook. However, among satisfied customers and favorable reviews, you might always come across one that is negative and discouraging to your services.
It’s crucial not to ignore such comments because potential clients are precisely checking these worst reviews and observing your reaction. No negative comment should go unanswered.
Remember, the more positive reviews you have on your profile, the less significant the negative ones will be, as they will be lost among the multitude of your satisfied clients.
If you’re unsure when and how to conduct a student satisfaction survey, check out our article on the topic!
Where to look for reviews about yourself?
It’s best to create a list of places and portals where your school’s business profiles and social media accounts have been established. Then, if possible, enable email notifications for new comments. This will allow you to stay on top of things and systematically monitor the ratings appearing on various internet sites.
The most important ones are:
- Google,
- Facebook,
- GoWork (if you have a high employee turnover).
If you don’t have a profile on Google yet, check our post and learn how to create a Google Business Profile step by step!
Who writes the reviews?
Most often, a very satisfied or very dissatisfied client will leave a review about you. Students who are simply satisfied with the service you provide are usually less inclined to express their opinions online.
You may come across fake reviews, most commonly posted by dishonest competitors. Unfortunately, these reviews are very difficult to remove from Google, which is why they are most often placed there. Nevertheless, we encourage you to use it – find out why it’s worth having a Google profile.
Types of negative reviews
Regardless of where a review is posted, you can encounter three types of negative reviews. I will detail them below.
Low rating without a comment (1-3 stars)
It’s best to respond to such a review, even if there are no details and it seems like there’s nothing to address. Your response will show potential clients how you handle situations and will say much more than an anonymous 1-star rating without any commentary.
What else should you do?
- You should express regret over the client’s dissatisfaction and ask for direct contact (preferably provide your contact details) to explain the situation.
- If the review isn’t anonymous, try to gather as much information as possible about the student and the collaboration based on the data collected on the LangLion Platform and from the instructor conducting the classes.
- After gathering the information, contact the student directly and explain what happened and how you can remedy the negative impression. Prepare for this conversation and consider scenarios on how the situation can be resolved.
Low rating with a negative comment
The kind of review every entrepreneur fears the most. The first basic rule is not to engage in a public discussion with the client!
If the reason for your client’s dissatisfaction is presented in the comment, the best solution is to professionally address its content. Just be careful not to reveal too many details about the collaboration.
Don’t write essays! If your response to all allegations requires extensive explanations, don’t write them publicly. The longer your response, unfortunately, the greater the likelihood that your dissatisfied client will become even more upset, leading to an argument, which is not the image you want to build online.
Respond briefly and concisely – someone looking for reviews about you will read the entire response and won’t see you as someone who argues with clients. If your response is unprofessional, it will be easier to believe the allegations in the negative comment.
Just like in the first case, invite direct contact and apologize for the situation. Remember, never write a non-apology like “I’m sorry you felt that way,” even if you believe the client is wrong. Apologize for your behavior, not for how someone perceived it.
False, negative review
If you are sure it is an action by the competition, you can turn the situation to your advantage. By offering, for example, compensation, you show potential clients your commitment. If the review is false, no one will claim the compensation, but your reaction will be perceived positively.
How to respond to negative reviews?
We learn best from our own mistakes – it’s from our actions that we derive the most valuable lessons. Nonetheless, it’s worthwhile to see how others have managed, to benefit from their experiences.
Below are the essential guidelines for responding to negative reviews to help you remain professional in any situation.
- Respond quickly – the faster you respond, the more likely it is that bystanders will read not only the unfavorable review but also your stance on the matter.
- Don’t act on emotions – your response is your business card! Remember, your response is the most credible review of your school.
- Aim for an amicable resolution – additionally, strive to obtain as much reliable information as possible for this purpose.
- Apologize, even if it’s not your fault – this builds the image of a professional. You have nothing to lose and much to gain.
- Encourage the removal or correction of the review after resolving the issue – if you manage to resolve the dispute in a way that is satisfactory for the client, ask them to remove or correct their review.
- Ensure positive reviews – actively asking satisfied students for reviews will weaken the significance of negative ones.
Summary – how to handle negative online reviews?
It’s not easy to confront a negative opinion about yourself, especially when it’s made publicly. Even more so if the comment targets something you’ve built with great dedication and commitment over the years. Sometimes, however, it’s worth setting aside your pride, drawing conclusions, and turning a potential failure into a positive marketing asset for your school.
Effective management of negative online reviews requires a quick, calm, and professional response. Key steps include monitoring opinions, providing an empathetic and factual reply, inviting further contact, and attempting to resolve the issue. It’s crucial to differentiate between types of comments (lacking content, criticism, false opinion) and respond appropriately.
Customer feedback, both negative and positive, is useful in many aspects of running a school. If you’re wondering how to gather feedback, read a separate post on our blog about it: how to measure and improve customer satisfaction in a language school.