7 Tips on Responding to Bad Reviews

No matter how good an auto body shop is, an occasional bad review is inevitable. How a shop owner or manager responds to a negative review can save the shop’s reputation and maybe even win back a customer.

Failure to respond to a customer complaint published on Google, Yelp, or social media can give the impression that a business doesn’t care or is guilty of the offense. Even worse, an unprofessional response can paint a shop in a bad light and further repel potential customers.

As a full-service digital marketing agency that exclusively helps independent auto body shops with their online presence, Body Shop Marketing has put together a helpful checklist to help shops put their best foot forward and maintain a positive reputation.

1. Step Away from the Keyboard

Seeing a complaint, especially one that seems unfair or unwarranted, can feel like a gut punch, and it’s natural for shop owners to get defensive. Instead of snapping back, Body Shop Marketing recommends stepping away from the keyboard and taking some deep breaths.

Go on a walk and think things through before crafting a response. Something written in the heat of passion is bound to be unprofessional and flame the fire.

Despite the recommendation to take time to think about how to respond, don’t wait too long. 53% of reviewers expect a response within seven days, and the sooner a shop can respond to a bad experience, the better.

Further, responding to positive reviews is just as important as responding to bad reviews. Shop owners should try to reply to as many reviews as possible. This practice shows that the business listens to what customers are saying, and a heartfelt thank you can go a long way.  

2. Personalize the Response

The goal of responding to a customer who has had a bad experience is to maintain a hard-won reputation and potentially salvage the relationship. Therefore, a response to a bad review should address the specific issue. When possible, respond to the reviewer by name, especially if the reviewer’s name is published in the review.

Below are two examples of how a shop can respond:

Wrong: Dear Customer, We’re sorry about your bad experience with our shop. We’ll look into this matter further.

Better: Hi John, Thank you for bringing the issue of your window motor malfunction to our attention. It is our policy to thoroughly inspect and test every aspect of the vehicle before marking a job complete. Please contact us at {phone} or {email} to schedule a time for us to repair the window motor. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to making this right!

The “wrong” example at least had an apology and indicated that they will take action. However, it felt generic, as if copied and pasted from a previous response.

The “better” example addresses the customer complaint specifically and also includes some of the other best practices outlined below.

3. Say Thank You

Even though a business might not like what a customer shared, a body shop can view this as an experience to learn.

Assuming the customer complaint is legitimate, there could be an ongoing problem that a shop owner is unaware of. For example, there might be a technician who needs further training or a reminder to follow through with a specific procedure.

Keep in mind that someone took time out of their day to share what happened to them. Thank the person for relaying their experience by showing appreciation for bringing attention to it.

4. Apologize and Be Empathetic

An integral part of reputation management and messaging for auto body shop owners is swallowing one’s pride. Apologizing isn’t necessarily an admission of wrongdoing. Instead, it demonstrates empathy toward the person’s dissatisfaction with their experience and allows them to be heard.

By taking responsibility in some way, even if it’s just acknowledging someone’s frustration, a shop maintains a reputation for being caring and professional.

5. Offer to Make It Right

When people leave bad reviews, they are frustrated, angry, or feel ripped off. An apology can go a long way, but an apology alone doesn’t necessarily solve the problem.

To protect a shop’s reputation, Body Shop Marketing recommends including an offer to make things right, along with a sentence or two about how the issue the customer experienced will be addressed.

6. Move the Conversation Offline

It can be tempting to engage in a dialogue directly on the review platform, but this tactic can result in airing dirty laundry.

After apologizing for the experience and offering to make it, move the conversation offline. Do this by requesting that the reviewer reach out to the shop directly via phone or email to discuss the matter further and come to a resolution.

7. Ask for a Second Chance

Instead of chalking up a bad review to a lost customer, consider the possibility of winning them back. Sometimes the angriest clients can be converted to raving fans when they have been heard and made whole again. Respect is earned, and this is a prime opportunity to earn it.

Body Shop Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency dedicated to helping independent body shops compete with big corporate shops. From website design to reputation management and social media marketing, Body Shop Marketing can help any auto body shop achieve online domination.

Contact Body Shop Marketing by phone at (855) 667-9648 or email at hello@bodyshopmarketing.io to learn more or schedule a consultation.  

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