“The worst customer service experience ever! Do not EVER stay here!!!!!!!”
“If you are offered a job at this place, run! Do not walk to the nearest exit. I have never worked with a more dysfunctional group of people in my life.”
“The product was nothing like it appeared on the website. It was cheaply made and broke after the first use. Terrible quality.”
Ouch! Those hurt. Right there in black and white for anyone and everyone to see—the naked truth: what someone thinks of your product, your service or your organization.
So, what’s a person to do when his or her online reputation is suffering at the hands of others? Today and tomorrow, Promotional Consultant Today shares these ten tips.
Step One: Take a deep breath. You can fix it. Not overnight, but you can fix it.
Step Two: Get over any hurt feelings or embarrassment, and do it quickly. The people who complain have done you a great favor. It’s now up to you to decide if negative reviews are going to be the kiss of death or a wakeup call.
Step Three: Uncover everything that is being said about you. If you found a bad review in one place, there are probably others. You will need to spend a few hours researching your company or product online. Start Googling, and take notes on what you find and where. A word of caution: resist the urge to respond to anything. Be strategic, not impulsive. You will need a game plan before typing a word.
Step Four: Automate. Sign yourself up for Google Alerts at www.google.com/alerts. If new content mentioning your company shows up online and Google sees it, the search engine will send out an automatic alert letting you know. There are also a variety of free and paid services that will monitor online search terms and any major review sites for mentions, and will quickly notify you if new information about your product or service is posted. If you are serious about managing your online reputation, these services are extremely valuable.
Step Five: Once you have a good picture of your online grade, get ready to roll up your sleeves and start problem solving. If your employees are rude, train them. If your product is poor, fix it. If people hate working for you, investigate. Unless you are the victim of competitor sabotage, what you are reading is probably based in truth. If needed, revisit step two.
Want more online reputation management tips? Read PCT tomorrow.
Source: Kate Zabriskie is the president of Business Training Works, Inc., a Maryland-based talent development firm. She and her team help businesses establish customer service strategies and train their people to live up to what’s promised.