Responding to negative daycare reviews in a professional and constructive manner is crucial for maintaining a good rating and preserving your center’s reputation. Here are five tips to help you effectively respond to negative reviews:
1. Stay calm and composed, THEN DO NOTHING. DO NOT RESPOND…. CALM DOWN, SLEEP ON IT. RESPOND TOMORROW! It’s natural to feel defensive or upset when you receive a negative review on your childcare center, but it’s important to remain calm and composed when responding. Take a step back, breathe, and don’t let your emotions drive your reply. A professional and level-headed response will reflect positively on your business. Addressing negative reviews in a timely manner shows that you value customer feedback and are proactive in resolving issues. Aim to respond within 24-48 hours to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction (AGAIN DO NOT RESPOND WITHIN THE HOUR IF YOU ARE EMOTIONAL).
2. Respond unemotionally:
Apologize and empathize: Start your response by thanking the parent for their business then expressing a genuine apology for their negative experience. Acknowledge their concerns and empathize with their disappointment/dissatifaction. Try not to be condensending This shows that you value their feedback and are willing to make amends.
3. Offer a solution: After acknowledging the customer’s concerns, provide a potential solution to address the issue. Whether it’s offering a discount on future service or another form of compensation show that you’re committed to resolving the problem and making it right. It should look something like this WE FIND THIS ISSUE VERY CONCERNING, PLEASE CALL XX-XXX-XXXX AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENINCE.
4. Take it offline: Whenever possible, invite the customer to continue the conversation offline. Provide a direct contact method such as an email address or phone number, so you can address their concerns more personally and privately. This demonstrates your willingness to go the extra mile to resolve the issue.
5. Remember, your responses not only address the reviewer but also showcase your customer service to potential customers who may read the reviews. A thoughtful and professional response to a negative review can help mitigate the impact and even turn the situation into a positive experience. Always add your name, title, and daycare slogan. If you lost one parent through this bad expense hopefully you can pick up a prosecptive client with your professionalism and fairness. Below are great and not so great YELP responses.
Lastly… GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS: Reviews with one star, no feedback and no recognizable name sting a little. The Good news is these reviews are rarely taken seriously. They look more like a competitor or disgruntled x-employee. Try to have this “false” review removed by flagging it. This doesn’t work try to filter it. Worst case scenario is to respond kindly …
Click to receive 6 different responses for negative reviews.