Preventing Negative Online Reviews Through Good Customer Service

Today, it is easier than ever for clients to vocalize their personal experiences with your practice. Online destinations such as Yelp, Google Places, Insider Pages, Foursquare, Gowalla and the BBB (Better Business Bureau) provide easy ways for consumers to write reviews on everything from restaurants to therapists.

In addition to online review sites, many individuals today manage their own websites and blogs where they write at length about their life experiences. Blogger Jeff Jarvis used his site BuzzMachine to vent about his trouble with Dell’s products and customer service, sparking a huge online discussion known as “Dell’s Hell.” The page became so popular that it showed up on Google when people searched “Dell computers,” and the negative online press damaged the company’s reputation and sales.

Online press is a double-edged sword. On one hand, there is opportunity for excellent reviews that boost business. On the other, negative press can be deadly — and it’s an inconvenient fact that people are more likely to report negative experiences than good ones. Hence, no practice is immune to negative online press from clients. You might not have a website, a Facebook account or even a computer, but your clients do. In fact, the question isn’t if someone will write something negative, but when — and how will you handle it?

1) Fill the vacuum

On the Internet, the only thing worse than negative reviews is having those reviews published in a vacuum. Managers need to take control of the conversation about their companies in advance of any negativity. Here are some strategies one can begin using immediately.

2) Solicit online reviews

Counselors recoil at this suggestion. Some say it’s inappropriate, some say it’s unethical, and some say their clients simply won’t stand for it. None of this is true, of course. There is nothing unethical about tactfully (and without pressure or threat of penalty) informing your clients that people today are searching online to find counselors and that an online review could help other potential clients connect with your practice. In fact, if you have been doing good work with your clients, some of them may be wondering how they can help you in return.

Update: This article was published in Counseling Today magazine, with a notable revision. According to the American Counseling Associations (ACA), asking for client reviews/feedback violates the ACA ethics code. Hence, the above recommendation is not advisable. However, I believe the issue of client reviews could benefit from further discussion and debate. Perhaps making clients aware that they are able to write reviews if they choose is an appropriate and ethical alternative. Perhaps not. Please seek advice from your own ethical board.

3) Compete for awards and accolades

Winning an award or accolade is like a positive review on steroids. When a potential client sees that your practice was “Voted best of Portsmouth by Harbor Magazine 2010!” he or she will have increased confidence in your brand. Many publications issue “best of”-type awards to local businesses in a variety of categories. To begin, contact local publications to inquire about the nomination process (perhaps they don’t have a category for counseling — yet!).

4) Seek professional endorsements

Ask other health professionals who know your work to provide two- to three-sentence endorsements. You can publish these blurbs on your website, accompanied by the professionals’ pictures and full names, to help build credibility. This level of identification is golden in a world in which unscrupulous companies create fake reviews by fictitious customers (“You changed my life, thanks! — Jake, NYC”).

5) Own your search results

When people search your business name online, make sure every result on the first page of Google is one you control or have contributed to. How? Publish quality web content: articles, videos, press releases and blogs. Also set up a Facebook page, Twitter page, Google Places page, LinkedIn page and maybe even a Myspace page. This level of online saturation is important because when someone does finally post something negative about you, their negative comment could be so far down on the search results that new potential clients won’t see it.

6) Tell your company’s story

Telling your company’s story will help you to build trust with potential new clients. Your story isn’t a one-time history of your company; it’s an evolving narrative about who you are, what you’re working on and how you’re active within your community. Note: If you don’t have anything to write about, then you’re not doing enough!

7) Responding to upset client-customers

Great customer service will reduce client complaints, but it will never eliminate them. All businesses get upset customers. Like all companies, you will make mistakes, and (let’s be honest) sometimes customers are difficult to please. Here’s what to do when you learn that you have an angry client-customer.

8) Apologize for their experience

Some counselors have a bad habit of taking a client’s negative experience and making it a clinical issue. A client will say, “I’m mad that you were late to our appointment,” and the therapist will respond, “Who do I remind you of when you feel like that?” Client complaints are often legitimate customer service issues, plain and simple. Hence, it is appropriate to apologize for clients’ negative service experiences — even if they are wrong! Perhaps you’ve heard of the customer service legend surrounding Nordstrom. In one account, a sales clerk refunded a customer for a set of car tires, even though Nordstrom has never sold tires! How does your customer service stack up?

9) Listen to their story

Like any customer, angry clients want to be heard. When clients are angry, thank them for the opportunity to learn from their negative experience and then let them talk (off the clock!). Then ask them to tell you more. And then more. And then more! Make sure these clients tell you their whole story — every perception and feeling about it. Then say, “Now that I know your entire experience, how can I make things right?” After being heard in person, clients will feel less compulsion to rehash their complaints online (plus they’ll appreciate your patient listening).

10) Set the bar high

I called my bank the other day, and the attendant answering the phone said, “Thanks for calling Bank of America. How can I exceed your expectations today?” Wow, you just did! Let clients know that your goal is to exceed their expectations. By setting the bar high, if you miss your objective, perhaps you will simply meet their expectations, which is not bad for a “miss.”

11) Respond to online criticisms politely and directly

Some consumer sites give business owners the opportunity to respond publicly to customer reviews. Take advantage of this! When someone writes a negative review or comment about your practice, respond in a positive and professional way. Consider that while a negative review may hurt sales in the short-term, the constructive criticism gives your company an opportunity to learn and improve for the long-term.

12) Quality and reputation

The preceding “heavy-duty” strategies will help to strengthen and protect your company’s reputation. One word of caution, however. No matter how savvy a business is with reputation management, if the food tastes bad, the restaurant will eventually fail. Hence, these strategies work best when combined with exceptional customer service and quality clinical care.