So, your business just received a 1-star review. What should you do?
First of all, while a 1-star review definitely doesn’t feel good, it doesn’t have to derail you either. Yes, a 1-star review can lower your overall star rating. But if you’ve worked hard to build your business, hire a competent team, and deliver great products or services, it’s helpful to look at the big picture, especially if you routinely get glowing, high-star reviews from other customers.
However, since it’s best practice to respond to all reviews, even the negative ones, it’s good to have a plan for how to respond to a 1-star review. Since customers expect timely responses to their reviews, doing nothing for several days while you contemplate what to say isn’t going to help the situation.
Before you become disheartened or start to second-guess yourself, read on to learn how 1-star reviews and other negative customer feedback are actually a business opportunity. Then get step-by-step guidance for how to respond to a 1-star review if you get one, with some example language you can use.
The opportunity in a 1-star review
A single 1-star review on its own might be unusual for your business, but whatever you do, don’t discount it. Instead, use it as an important opportunity to show not only the disgruntled customer but any prospective customers paying attention that you care about people’s experiences with your business and want to make it right with anyone disappointed.
Your willingness to publicly respond to a 1-star review with empathy and transparency can defuse a negative situation and even inspire an upset customer to return. It also helps establish your trustworthiness and credibility with potential new customers.
If you start getting more 1-star, low-star, or otherwise negative online reviews, see if you can notice a pattern in the complaints. Maybe several customers are having issues with your online ordering process, or they’ve noticed a big drop in the quality of your products or services. Multiple negative reviews are a red alert that something urgently needs to be addressed in your business.
The opportunity is to identify the recurring problem and take immediate steps to improve it, earn back trust, and avoid losing your valued customers to the competition.
How to respond to a 1-star review in 4 steps
No business is perfect all the time, and mistakes and mishaps are going to happen. Even if you feel like you’re doing everything right, you can still end up with a 1-star review. If you do, here’s how you can respond publicly:
1. Apologize and empathize
You can go a long way with an angry customer when you simply apologize for the bad experience and express empathy. People want to be heard, especially when their expectations aren’t met — and this first step for responding to a 1-star review is a clear way of showing that you’re listening and not shying away from the issue.
Here are a couple of examples:
“I’m sorry you had a bad experience with [fill in]. This wasn’t up to our typical standards, and I can see how frustrating it was for you.”
Or…
“I’m sorry the [product] you purchased did not meet your expectations. I understand how disappointing that was.”
2. Ask questions to get more information
Some reviews are explicit in detail; others are vague. When it’s hard to decipher what really happened, then it’s also hard to know what you can do to make it right or how to prevent the problem from happening again.
Before you go further in your response to a 1-star review, ask the customer some follow-up questions so you can learn more about their specific experience.
Here’s an example to break the ice:
“May I ask a few questions so I can understand a little more about what happened?”
If the customer agrees, then go ahead. You don’t have to bombard them with a ton of questions; just ask enough so you get the information you need to get to the heart of the issue.
Here are some additional questions you might ask:
“What day/date did this happen?”
“Do you know the approximate time you experienced this?”
“Do you remember who you spoke to?”
“Have you had this issue before?”
3. Explain what happened on your end and offer a resolution
The important thing to note with this step when responding to a 1-star review is that it’s not about arguing with the customer over the details or getting defensive. Remember, your comments are public and others are watching how you handle the situation. If there’s a valid explanation for what happened, it’s okay to state it. But whether you have an explanation or not, you do need to offer a resolution and/or suggestion at this point.
Here’s an example:
“It looks like we had an outage with our ordering system and your order was caught in it. The problem is now fixed. To make up for the inconvenience, we’re happy to give you a 15% discount off your next online purchase.”
Or, if you don’t have an explanation yet:
“I will look into what happened and let you know what I find out. In the meantime, I can offer you a 15% discount off your next purchase to make up for the problem.”
Or, if there’s no explanation needed and it was just a straight-up mistake:
“That should never have happened. Please accept a 15% discount off your next service appointment and our sincere apology.”
We mentioned a discount in the examples above, but as part of your response to a 1-star review you can offer anything that’s financially feasible for your business — such as a gift card, a two-for-one coupon, or waived shipping or delivery fees.
You can also simply extend an invitation like this:
“That was a big mistake on our part. We’re addressing it immediately with our staff. Please give us another chance to give you the experience you deserve.”
4. Take the conversation offline
If you’ve apologized and offered a resolution in your response to a 1-star review, but the customer isn’t receptive to anything you’ve said or done and they’re still upset, it’s best at this point to continue the conversation offline. That way you don’t have to engage in an escalating back-and-forth with the customer and have a little more leeway and privacy to arrive at a resolution that will work for both of you.
Here are a couple of examples for how you can suggest this:
“I’m [name], the [job title]. I’d really like to make this right for you. Would you mind calling me at [phone number] to discuss it further and give us a chance to do better?”
Or…
“I can see I haven’t resolved this for you yet, and I’d really like to. If you’re open to it, please call me at [phone number] so I can provide more assistance. My name is [name].”
How to respond to a 1-star review without comments
If a customer left you a 1-star review without any comments associated with it, a couple of things are possible: it could be that the 1-star review was mistakenly given — or it could be that the customer deliberately chose the star rating but felt no need to explain or elaborate.
Assuming the second possibility is true, it’s hard to know how to respond to the 1-star review without comments if you don’t even know what the problem is or what motivated the customer. All the same steps for responding apply in this case as well:
- Apologize
- Ask a follow-up question
- Offer a resolution
- Continue offline
That way you can be sure to cover the bases and hopefully encourage the customer to get in touch and provide some details.
Here are a couple of examples:
“I’m [name], the [job title]. I’m so sorry you had a poor dining experience with us. Was there something specific that happened? We’d love a chance to make it up to you by giving you a free appetizer at your next visit. Please call me at [phone number] so I can send you a voucher. And please also let me know your concerns so we can ensure a better experience next time.”
Or…
“I apologize that we didn’t meet your expectations. Would you like to let us know what happened? Our team prides itself on offering a great service, so when we fall short, we want to know how we can improve. If you call us at [phone number], we’ll be happy to listen to your feedback and provide you with a coupon for your next service.”
Additional tips for responding to a 1-star review
Responses to reviews can feel tricky and nerve-wracking sometimes — and there are definite ways not to respond to reviews. In the interest of focusing on what you should do, here are some additional tips to keep in mind when responding to a 1-star review:
- Respond promptly: The quicker you can respond, the better it is for everyone — the customer, your business, and any prospective customers who are keeping tabs.
- Keep it brief and simple: There’s no need to give a monologue when you respond to a 1-star review. Depending on the situation, you should be able to get your point across in a handful of short sentences — and if it requires more than that, move the conversation offline as we discussed above in step #4.
- Use the customer’s name: This little personal touch in your response helps the customer feel seen and appreciated during an otherwise tense moment.
- Be kind: The customer went out of their way to leave a 1-star review. That’s a pretty good indicator that something genuinely went wrong — even if it was just an honest misunderstanding. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and treat them with kindness. When you do, you have a greater chance of earning back their business and maybe even their loyalty.
To see how GatherUp’s online reputation management platform can support your review strategy, start your free trial today.
