Unfortunately, it’s exceptionally easy for a jerky client to ruin your brand’s online reputation. I know, the customer is always right…but when the customer is impossible to cater to it can pose a unique challenge to you as a business owner. Today I want to address five ways that this type of client can easily ruin your brand’s online reputation.
5 Easy Ways a Jerky Client Can Ruin Your Brand’s Online Reputation
1. Yelp!
The number one reason that I am approached by small businesses looking for help managing their online reputation is Yelp! Yelp! makes it exceptionally easy for clients to ruin your brand’s online reputation. Due to the way that Yelp! works, all of their reviews are published and the reviews that are displayed are at the mercy of the Yelp! system. Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy way to immediately remove undeserving negative Yelp! reviews, but there are a few methods of managing them. By going through the right avenues you can moderate the damage done by an undeserving negative Yelp! review and the best way to do this is to get in touch with a professional online presence manager.
In the past, I have worked with multiple companies who have struggled with Yelp! reviews sabotaged by competing businesses and hard to please customers and with my experience and understanding of reputation management, I have brought those companies up from a single star to top rankings!
2. Google Reviews
Google reviews are important to businesses because they are one of the first reviews that potential clients will see when they search your business on Google. Sadly, it is easier than ever for an unhappy customer to bring down your company’s reputation with just one poor Google Review. There are multiple techniques that you can utilize to manage this type of negative review, however, and with a good online presence manager on your side, you can improve how potential customers see negative reviews quite quickly.
There are also “wrong ways” to handle negative Google Reviews too, however, and tackling negative Google Reviews on your own can also lead to more problems if you aren’t sure what you’re doing.
3. Tweeting
Tweeting is a live option for customers to leave feedback which can be great, but it also allows unsatisfied customers to continue ongoing campaigns against your business which can ruin your online reputation quite quickly. In these circumstances, it is crucial that you address the feedback being given as soon as possible to prevent it from picking up speed and spreading like wildfire among individuals who don’t even have experience with your business.
You see, the unfortunate thing about Twitter is that it not only allows for trolls to hop on a bandwagon for no reason other than a desire to take part in drama, but it moves faster than wildfire. Very quickly a single complaint can get out of control so you HAVE to take an active role in addressing this type of feedback ASAP.
As a professional online reputation manager, I have encountered businesses with varying degrees of this type of Twitter conflict. One thing that all of these businesses had in common was that they allowed one single tweet to get out of control by avoiding it and hoping that it would go away. This just doesn’t happen. That’s why you need to take care of the problem when it happens or if you have let it get out of control, invest in a professional social media manager to rectify the situation properly.
4. Facebook Posting
Facebook posting is another very public forum where dissatisfied customers can leave their feedback on your business. It is also a very popular forum that potential customers turn to when looking for information on your business which can cause problems when that negative feedback does get posted. Depending on how feedback was posted to your brand’s Facebook page, getting rid of it can be as easy as clicking “delete” or “hider from your timeline”, but if you use a rating system on your page, rectifying undeserving feedback can be trickier.
As a social media manager and an online reputation manager, I have seen a number of businesses hit panic mode due to one unsatisfied customer reaching out to friends and having them slam a business as payback for their own experience, this is a much more difficult situation to rectify, but with the help of a professional, it can be taken care of.
5. Blogging
One of the most difficult and uncomfortable ways that a jerky customer can ruin your online reputation is by writing a negative review of your business on their personal blog. Not only does this type of review allow your reviewer unlimited space to review your business, but it addresses an already biased audience.
Managing blog reviews of your business from a difficult customer is a delicate process that requires a calculated response designed to mediate as well as rectify. Addressing this type of review calmly can be difficult when it’s your business at the center of controversy and this can lead to inflaming the situation even more. That’s why it’s always best to call in a neutral party like an online presence manager who has experience in taking care of this type of delicate situation. With the right approach, even a negative blog review can be remedied and an unhappy customer can be satisfied, but without the necessary diplomacy, poor blog reviews can lead to disaster.
Need Help Managing Your Online Reputation?
If you need help managing your online reputation after a jerky client took their toll, you need to call in the services of a professional online reputation manager. I currently have availability for one more client on my roster and can help you to straighten out your online reputation the right way – give me a call toll-free at 727-475-6460 for your complimentary consultation today.
