A local restaurant receives a string of negative Google reviews within one week. The owner feels attacked, and their first instinct is to reply defensively.
Reputation Management
Dealing with Bad Reviews Publiclyand Privately
2 min read
The Scenario
What Happened
The owner ignored some reviews, replied angrily to others, and even accused one customer of lying. This escalated the situation, leading to screenshots being shared on social media, which caused more reputational harm than the reviews themselves.
What Should Have Happened
The business should have responded publicly with calm, empathetic replies, showing accountability and professionalism. Each reviewer should then have been contacted privately to resolve the issue. This dual approach reassures the public while creating opportunities for service recovery and potential review updates.
What They Can Do Now
- Audit all recent reviews and draft professional responses for each one.
- Publicly acknowledge issues without arguing or overexplaining.
- Reach out privately to dissatisfied customers with a sincere apology and an offer to make it right.
- Create a review response SOP for staff to follow.
- Implement feedback from the reviews to prevent similar complaints.
The Takeaway
A bad review is not the end of the world. Public responses show professionalism to future customers, while private outreach builds trust with current ones. Handled well, bad reviews can become opportunities to prove your brand’s integrity and win loyalty.