Last week I told you about one of my favorite business responses to a negative review that I’ve ever read. (Go back and read last week’s post if you missed it!)

So why was it so great? Well, for starters, the writer was clearly in control of his emotions when he wrote it.It sounds simple, but responding calmly to a negative review can be a huge challenge for business owners, especially when the review isn’t exactly truthful.

So before you respond to a negative review, sit down, take a depth breath, go for a walk, or do whatever works for you to get in a calm frame of mind. Your future self will thank you!

Next, the business owner says they are sorry to hear that the neighbor is unhappy with the brewery, which kicks the business owner’s response off on an understanding foot.

The business owner also reiterates what measures had been taken before the brewery opened to be considerate of the neighbor, including paying for the dog fence. He does this without being defensive but as a statement of fact. Remember, when you’re responding to negative reviews, you aren’t just writing a response to the reviewer. You’re writing a response that other people that are considering doing business with you will read, and this is a critical piece of information for the business owner to include.

The business owner apologizes again if he misunderstood that the neighbor was on board with everything they discussed – another example of the business owner doing everything they can to address the neighbor’s concerns.

The business owner then invites the neighbor over to talk about it in person and, surprise, to try a beer that they named after the neighbor’s dog, who the neighbor dearly loves!

This is a great example of both holding someone accountable while also offering an olive branch. Many people are keyboard warriors but won’t dare have a respectful in person conversation. All the business owner can do is offer that, which they do.

They also try and connect with the neighbor on what the neighbor values most, their dog. Good communication, especially in difficult conversations, usually requires finding some common ground.

And there’s one more thing the business owner does to rock this response. In fact, it’s the most important thing they do.

To be continued…