We all like receiving positive feedback—and by the same token, none of us like being told that we’re doing a poor job. For most businesses, though, mixed feedback is just par for the course. Consider your used car dealership. Hopefully, you get a lot of positive online reviews—but sooner or later, a dissatisfied buyer is sure to leave you a low score.
The way you respond to bad reviews is vitally important. Here are a few things to remember as your used car dealership wrestles with the good, the bad, and the ugly of online criticism.
First, Cool Down.
The most important advice we can give you? Don’t respond in anger. Take some time to cool down first.
It’s completely natural to feel angry when your business gets trashed, especially if you perceive the criticism to be unfair or unwarranted. But if you lash out or respond with rage, it’s only going to make your business look unprofessional.
You need to respond in a measured way, and sometimes that means stepping back and allowing yourself a cool-down period before you write a response.
Second, Show Some Service.
The second piece of advice we’ll offer is to view each negative review as an opportunity to show off your customer service skills. Here’s what we mean:
- Always acknowledge the problem (even if you don’t agree with it). Make the customer feel heard.
- Offer an apology. Even if you don’t think the criticism is fair, you can always say that you’re sorry for the bad experience.
- Ask what you can do to make things right. Show the customer that you really want to make amends with them.
- Try to de-escalate, and specifically to move the conversation to a phone call or a private email.
- Finally, affirm your dealership’s values, and state your commitment to providing great products and experiences for everyone.
Third, Look at the Big Picture.
Sometimes, taking these steps can help you reverse the effects of a bad review. But sometimes, your buyers just aren’t going to be happy. You can’t force anyone to change their mind or change their review—so you may just need to let it go.
With that said, you should always be working to actively cultivate positive reviews—ensuring that your positives ones outweigh your negatives. One way you can do that is to reach out to your best, happiest customers and let them know how much you’d value their honest feedback.
A negative review doesn’t have to be the end of the world—especially not if you have plenty of positive ones to balance it out.
Get Help Branding Your Used Car Dealership
Reviews are an important part of used car dealership marketing—right up there with Craigslist, Facebook Ads, and SEO.
We’d love to talk with you more about your dealership marketing needs, no matter what they encompass. Start the conversation by reaching out to Get My Auto today.