As service professionals our reputation is everything, so it can feel like the end of the world when you get a bad Yelp, Google, or Houzz review. If you’ve just gotten a rotten review don’t despair! Handled well, a bad Yelp review can actually improve your business and get you more and better clients!

I’ll bet that sounds like a ridiculous thing to say – but that is exactly what happened to me. When I got my first unhappy Yelp review (two stars! ouch!) I had a good cry, and then I sat down and responded in a way I’d later learn actually got new clients to call. And not just new client, but better clients, clients more suited to my company and way of working.

Here I’ll share with you my template for answering a rotten review so you can get past this road bump and move on to brighter days. This is specifically for reviews that are from an actual client and talk directly to the experience they have. If you get a review that is from someone you know was never a client, say: “Thank you for your review – I have a direct relationship with all my clients and I don’t see your name in our system or recognize your project. Perhaps you meant to leave this for another designer? I’ve sent you a direct message to see if we can clear up this confusion.” If you get a low rating with no written review, say “I’m sorry to see you didn’t have a 5-star experience with me! I know your time is precious, but if you have a chance to let me know what it was about your experience that I could have made better that would be great. I’ve sent you a direct message to see if I can make this right for you.” Don’t expect an answer, and don’t expect them to change the rating – just leave your clearheaded and professional response and move on.

Those are the straightforward ones. But what to do when someone clearly, specifically, and longwindedly leaves a negative review? You have three main ways of responding:

1. You can get defensive
2. You can be generic
3. You can respond thoughtfully and set the stage for future success (hint – pick this one!)

DON’T: get defensive.

Getting a bad review stings. At best it makes you feel embarrassed, at worst attacked. Even if the review is justified, it still sucks. Since it’s probably going to make you feel some kind of an emotional response, never ever write and post your response right after you read the negative review. I guarantee you won’t be in the right headspace and it’ll probably come off as whiny, bitter, sarcastic, or pissed. So read it, draft a response if you want, then sleep on it. You’ll have a clearer head in the morning.

If, the next day, you still can’t keep yourself from writing a defensive response, get help. Find an articulate and even-tempered friend to help you write the response, or reach out to me for my Quick-Fix service and we’ll get that answer drafted up together. The worst thing you can do is attack back – it will only make you look bad. I guarantee it.

DON’T: be generic.

Being generic isn’t quite as bad as being defensive, but it’s certainly a wasted opportunity, because this negative review has given you a platform to say something. While lots of people will skip reading the positive reviews, they will almost always read the negative reviews. That means you have a captive audience – don’t waste the chance to say something meaningful!

What does a generic response sound like? Something like: Thank you for your review. We appreciate your feedback and will aim to do better. We look forward to having you as our client in the future.

Basically, it’s political spin, and no one wants to hear that, especially in a personal services industry where relationships matter like they do in interior design, and even more especially if you just copy and past the same response every time. You may not have gotten defensive, but you didn’t seem like you cared much, either.

DO: respond thoughtfully!

So how do you respond to a bad Yelp, Google, or Houzz review?

1. Thank the writer for taking time to leave feedback.
   Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.
2. Respond to their specific complaint.
   I am sorry you didn’t feel like you were heard through the design process. I take my client’s wishes and preferences very seriously and wish I had made sure you felt that every step of the way.
3. Acknowledge their specific complaint.
   I agree that I could have been more responsive to your emails during the two months we worked together. I should have planned ahead better for the holiday season and communicated my schedule to you so you felt taken care of throughout the process.
4. Shape the conversation.
   While I made sure that all the subs and vendors would arrive on time, and I know we were able to make the installation deadlines with the exception of the ottoman arriving on schedule due to snow delays, I understand that you wanted and expected me to be there personally throughout the process, and that my time away to visit family for the holidays caused you stress and frustration.
5. Explain the future.
   Thanks to your feedback I’ve taken the opportunity to update my communications process with my clients so that we can avoid this kind of misunderstanding in the future, and I can make sure it’s clear how the installation process will unfold even when I can’t be present personally.
6. Address ridiculous expectations or the client’s part in creating the situation only if needed.
   Should we work together again I’ll more actively review the calendar before we choose our start date to avoid spanning the holidays. I know you were eager to start right away so that the house would be complete by the new year, but I should have been more insistent that the process would run more smoothly if we delayed the start date, and set the schedule accordingly.
7. Thank them again.
   Again, thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I am sorry it didn’t merit a higher rating, and I really do hope our experience together doesn’t get in the way of enjoying your new space. Warmest regards, Suzie Jones, owner.

Basically, you want to build a positivity sandwich. Sincerely thank them. Be specific so it’s clear that you are taking the complaint seriously. Then carefully use this opportunity to help future clients know if you are the right fit for them or not.

And that’s really the key here. You aren’t actually writing this response to the client who wrote the review. You are writing it to a future, wonderful, perfect client. The kind who would, in this case, appreciate that you are a person who will prioritize family over work. That might have been a negative for this client, but could be the thing that lands you the next one!

In a perfect response to a bad review the upset client will feel heard, but really, you are unlikely to change their experience. If you think you can make it right, reach out to them personally and try to make it right. That’s not what this response is for. It’s here to let future clients know how you handle the bumps in the road. Do you attack back? Do you get defensive? Do you take ownership? Do you stay engaged? Do you actually care?

Speaking of caring, long before you get a negative review, you should be attentive to your reviews and answering every review you get. Don’t wait for a bad one to start engaging with your online clients. When someone leaves you a happy review, take a moment to say thank you. This shows readers that you care about your clients and that you are an active and engaged company. And it will also help when you get a less-than-glowing review, as you’ll already have shown you are responsive and caring, and not just when someone complains.

Yes, there are bumps and potholes on the entrepreneurship road, but grandma was right when she said you can turn lemons into lemonade. Keep your head up and reach out if you need help navigating your latest rough patch.

May your business always make you Seriously Happy!