How do you overcome poor reviews – is it even possible?

Hey there folks of the forum – I wanted to ask a question now that I am getting ready to start my own online business. In your experience, do you believe that companies have a chance to repair their reputation after they make initial mistakes?

And at the same time, what is enough to change your reputation. One of the clearest examples for me is a VPN service called DotBlock that I just worked with because they were offering a $1 trial. The feedback I found on some forums was negative, but the fact that the company had changed leadership and the fact that I am a sucker for good financial deals (for a dollar I really could not incur too much damage).

Was rather impressed with the service at first and I decided to keep on with them. However, I would have never stayed on with them if they had not offered me a substantial discount to try their service.

So what do you think, can you recover from a poor initial showing or do you think that ‘once it is out there’ on the net, it is just over?

 

The answer is of course you can. Keep in mind that we are not talking about a local mom and pop store in some small rural town where everybody knows everybody.

Not everybody goes to a review to find something out about this or that company. People usually go by how the company's site looks (professional or not), if it's user-friendly, if the company offers a great customer support.

It will also depend on how much you're willing to spend on getting your name out there. Fresh, new customers satisfied with your services will be your best asset in spreading the word around.

 

Some think that a bad review is better than no review at all. The main argument is that the product/website is getting attention anyway. The rest depends on how the website owner/product manager deals with those bad reviews. Again, some make a whole fuss about it with online fights and stuff like this, while others use reasoning to show that the opponents are way too wrong. I guess that creating alternative points of view works best, but here, one has to draw as much resources (time, reviewers,etc) as possible.

 

Of course you can. Give them something to think it over.

All the people in the world face initial bad reviews. No business is clean from critics..

 

I guess benefitting from bad reviews is one way to make lemonade one of lemons. I see your point, though. At least other people know your product is alive. All you can do is press forward, and if the claims made in the review are unsubstantiated, sometimes you have to sue for defamation.

 

Yes you can! Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions - good or bad. To overcome it, of course you have to improve your own business. Know their points on why they gave you poor reviews. Prove to them that you have lots to offer.

I do appreciate poor reviews

 

That's just what everyone should do, while choosing the most appropriate (and most natural for them) tactics