Turning Haters into Fans: How to Respond to Negative Reviews

Your business is NOT going to be for everyone and that’s okay!

Some people will RIDE-OR-DIE for you and your business while others will simply spread hate on your business just because you rub them the wrong way. It can sting and if you take things personally, this hate can be detrimental to the success of your business and your MENTAL HEALTH.

So HOW do you respond when someone HATES on your products or business?

You can either:

1. Say NOTHING and let it go.
2. Be DEFENSIVE (this will get you nowhere and cause you more hurt and frustration down the road)
3. Kill em with kindness. OR…
4. Respond with GRACE, offer your perspective, wish them well, and MOVE ON.

I’m not gonna tell you there’s a right way or wrong way to respond. BUT what I will tell you is everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But what I’ve learned over being a business owner for over a decade is that some opinions simply DO NOT matter.

Instead of giving these negative comments POWER of your mood, my advice is: Use this feedback to refine and improve whatever it is, even if it may not be VALID input.

Here are some of my FAVORITE scripts that I used in my bakery business whenever we received not-so-positive feedback.

YELP SCRIPS:

Yelp response for a POSITIVE review:

Hi ____ ! (*Insert reviewer's name.) We appreciate you taking the time to write us a review. We value your patronage and support, so your feedback means the world to us! We can't wait to see you again for more treats! Sincerely, Team Cake Mamas

Yelp response or a NEGATIVE review:

Hi ____! (*Insert reviewer's name.) Thank you for taking the time to write a review! We are so sorry to hear you were not completely thrilled with your _____ (whatever the item purchased was) Your feedback is extremely important to us, so we are currently taking additional measures to ensure that ____ does not happen again. If you'd like to give us a chance to make it up to you, we'd love to offer you _____ on a future visit.Thank you again for your honest feedback, Team Cake Mamas

Empathetic Acknowledgment + Solution-Focused:

Thank you for your feedback, [insert reviewer’s name]. We're sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet your expectations. We strive to offer the best service, and it sounds like we missed the mark. We’d love to make it right – please reach out to [business email or phone number], and we’ll do everything we can to improve your experience!

Fact-Based Clarification + Invitation to Connect:

Hi (insert reviewer's name), we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. While we value all feedback, it seems there may have been some miscommunication. We'd love to hear more details to better understand your concerns. Feel free to contact us directly at [business email/phone number] so we can address the issue and work towards a resolution!

Addressing the Concern + Moving Forward:

Hi [insert reviewer's name], thank you for letting us know about your experience. While we’re sorry you didn’t have a positive visit, we appreciate the opportunity to learn and grow from this. We’re working with our team to address your concerns and ensure future guests have a better experience. If there’s anything more we can do, please reach out to us at [business email/phone number

This is your friendly reminder that you aren’t in business to PLEASE everyone. When you open your business up to the public, you in turn open yourself up to public judgment and criticism.

The beauty is we ALL get to choose our own paths, careers, and HOW we want to impact the world and others we interact with. You can either spew envious negativity, share hurtful, non-thoughtful comments and opinions OR you can stay in your lane, be of service to others, continue to be a SHINING light in whatever industry you’re in, and MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS. Remember what you put out into the world is exactly what you will get back in return.

Regardless, hate can be damaging, so let’s lead by example: choose kindness, especially online. Stay focused, stay positive, and keep shining friend!

Xo, Janelle

P.S. Want ALL my email scripts that helped me win more clients in my bakery? Click here to grab them now!